Rise of the New Dawn
by Psycho Sin Mafia
Summary: The highwaymen think they control Hope County. They took out the train and have Thomas Rush prisoner. But the Captain of Security got away. Can his endless capacity for violence and blood overcome the endless numbers of the Highwaymen?
1. Chapter 1

I do not own far Cry New Dawn, or anything of the far Cry franchise. That belongs to ubisoft. I had originally planned to do a FC5 story, but decided to do this one, simply because while 5 has many fics, ND has almost none.

Kim Rye sighed as she sat with her daughter having dinner. Things had not gone as they hoped. She noticed Carmina making occasional glances to the newest resident of Prosperity: The Captain of Security.

Things seemed foolproof. Thomas Rush and his team had built up so many settlements; of course, they could help against the Highwaymen. However, the train had been ambushed and attacked, with everyone killed save two.

Thomas Rush, who was held captive by the Twins, Mickey and Lou.

And the Captain of Security, who Rush had apparently made sure got away by pushing him off a cliff.

Said Captain was sitting by the fire, sewing of all things. He had changed out of his uniform and into a modest black jeans red shirt outfit, a black hoodie on the chair behind him. Physically, she would reluctantly admit that he was handsome. Around 6 feet tall, well built, a healthy tan on his skin. dark brown, almost black hair that goes down to his shoulders, and piercing blue eyes. It was no wonder her daughter kept staring at him.

"In the morning, I was thinking I could start showing Captain the area, help him get a feel for the terrain around here. Places he might find important, you know." Carmina said after realizing her mom caught her staring and trying to hide it.

"I don't know. I mean, we have to do something but….I hate the idea of you having to be out there." Kim admitted.

"We have to do something. Like you said, I know this area better than anyone, and we'd make a good team." Carmina argued.

"I know what I said. But I worry about you going against Highwaymen. I can't stand the idea of losing you to." Kim said.

Carmina fell silent, setting down her bowl and sitting next to her mom.

"I miss dad to, you know I do. But we have to do something. Or else we might as well roll over and die." She said. Kim didn't expect that reaction from her daughter.

"I just don't know how one man is supposed to make much of a difference." Kim said, placing her hand on Carmina's shoulder.

"Of course one person can change things. You know that better than anyone. All those stories about the Deputy. How can you doubt it?" Carmina asked.

Kim fell silent at her daughter's words.

The Junior Deputy: A lifetime ago, before the bombs, Hope County was held in terror by the Project of Eden's Gate. With no end in sight, every day felt like it could be the last. Yet when the Deputy showed up, people started fighting back; it was a definite turning point. She had seen firsthand the changes that happened after the Deputy showed up. She owed so much to him, from protecting the Rye house from Peggies, to driving her to the Doctor's when she went into labor. Her daughters Godfather was something else to be sure. Unfortunately, no one knew what happened to him following the chaos of the Collapse.

"Do you really think he can do all that?" Kim asked her daughter.

Carmina looked back at the Captain, then back at her mom, the classic Rye determination in her eyes.

"Thomas Rush sacrificed his freedom to make sure The Captain got away. If that doesn't tell you about the Captain, I don't know what will." Carmina said.

Kim was silent, then nodded.

"Well, I guess I can't talk you out of it. After all, you're too much like your father." Kim smiled and hugged her daughter. Carmina smiled at the compliment, then continued eating.

Kim glanced back at the Captain, who had finished his sewing. He tries on the mask, a black mask covering his face from the nose down and nods, apparently happy with his work. She watches as he gets up from his place by the fire, grabs his hoodie and heads up the stairs. After he exits the door to the outside walkway, Kim notices that Carmina had been watching him again, and tries to hide a small smile. Whatever she may think about the Captain, it's clear her daughter has a high opinion of him already.

XXXpagebreakXXX

The next morning:

The Captain and Carmina gather some supplies for the day ahead. Some food, water, maps, and gear. Carmina is brining an assault rifle, or what passes for one in this post Collapse world, while the Captain is bringing a bow, arrows, and a revolver.

Kim hugs her daughter and wishes her luck. As Carmina heads to the front gate, the Captain stops next to Kim.

"Don't worry. I'll bring her back in one piece." He said before walking off. It occurs to Kim that this was the first time she heard him talk.

She climbed onto the gate and watched the pair disappearing into the trees. She wasn't sure if the Captain was the second coming of the Deputy, but she was certainly feeling more optimistic then she had in a long time.


	2. First Adventures

Here's chapter 2:

The Captain ran up the boulders and jumped onto Richard as he ran by, knocking him to the ground. As the underwear clad scout tried to get back up, the captain shifted his weight and kicked him. Standing over him, The Captain grabbed an Arrow from his quiver.

"So, bean wanted me to make you lead me to the business plan, but I've got to much shit to do to spend my time chasing a grown ass man in his tighty whities around. So tell me where it is or I'm going to pick an extremity and start working." The Captain told him.

Richard tried to crawl away, but the boulders were in the way.

"The fuck is an extremisy?" Richard asked, scared.

The Captain stood there for a moment then rubbed his eyes, exasperated by his stupidity.

"Tell me where the fuck the business plan is or I'm going to shove arrows up your ass!" Captain yelled in frustration. While Richard may not have known what an extremity was, he clearly understood that threat.

"Oh shit, ok fine. It's in a bunker about a mile away. Just follow this path until you find an old ruined house. That's where the bunker is. Can't miss it." Richard quickly explained.

"Glad we can come to an understanding. Just remember, never gamble with what isn't yours. You'd hate to find yourself being chased by debt collectors." Captain said before putting the arrow back in the quiver and turning to look at Carmina, who stared at him with an open mouth. "What?"

"Seriously? You just threatened to torture him." Carmina said as they began walking.

"Stupid idiot ran in a circle around a fucking tree. I wasn't going to see how far I had to chase him before I got what I wanted. Besides, my patience is already low after Selene." Captain said.

"Oh she wasn't that bad." Carmina said about the medical….expert? They had met a few hours before.

"Maybe not, but listening to her waffle on while going through freezing cold water in a silo that might as well have been a massive tomb? Not a fun day so far. My killing quota is well below standards." The Captain told her.

"Well how about this. If I'm right about where we are there's an outpost nearby. After we help Bean we can make our way over." She suggested.

"First good idea I've heard all day." Captain tells her. After about 15 or so minutes they find a ruined shell of what was once a house. After that, it doesn't take long to find the bunker, and retrieve the Business plan.

"His mapping skills had better be worth this trouble." The Captain grumbles as he climbs back up. They are about to start heading back when their radio squawks.

"_Um, Hello? This is Bean. I had to relocate, but the good news is, I should be nearby to where you are. See you when you get my business plan."_

"Nice of him to actually tell us where he is." Carmina says jokes before calling back to confirm his new location. Then the Captain stops so abruptly she walks right into him. "Ow, what's wrong?"

"How the hell did that little pipsqueak know he was nearby to us?" He growled. It was a very good question she had to admit, but she didn't think it was a good idea to let him stew as they walked.

"Ok, let's take a breath. I know you probably want to punch him. But think of the good his skill could do for Prosperity." She said, hoping it would work. It seemed to as he took a deep breath and grumbled as they walked.

As expected bean is ecstatic to get his business plan and promises to head to Prosperity. As he drives off, Carmina smiles at the Captain.

"I'm proud you didn't yell at him or anything." She tells him.

"In my mind he already died 18 different ways. Wait….19. There's a hornets' nest over there." He tells her, making her giggle. Then she notices there is indeed a hornet nest and wonders if he's serious, but decides not to ask.

"Well, let's go get some highwaymen." She suggests which seems to perk him up.

XXXpagebreakXXX

It took them only slightly longer than expected to find the outpost (mostly due to chasing after a prisoner rig) but they did locate it. After roughly half an hour of recon, they head back a bit so they can talk without whispering to much.

"I count 7 goons. Easy. You'll take a spot by the boxes we first went to. You're on panel duty. If they happen to see me before I've killed them all, they'll try to get backup. Your job is to make sure that don't happen." Captain explains to her as he puts on his mask and pulls up his hood.

She nods and heads to the position. She peeks out and tries to spot his progress. The only glimpses she can get of how far along he's gotten is by seeing who is suddenly no longer around.

Hearing something, she gasps and hides, seeing a highwaymen car pulling in.

"Man you missed one hell of a thing. That train went up like fireworks….hey, where is everyone? Shit who's that?" one of the highwaymen says, starting out describing the events of the other day to his driver, before noticing a body on the ground. Soon a gunfight starts.

"I'm going for the alarm!" one of them yells, trying not to get hit by arrows.

He rushes to the alarm when Carmina pops up from behind the boxes, pulling the trigger in a series of bursts, first taking out the panel, then the highwaymen when he spun to try to get an aim on her. She watched as he jerked from the impact of the bullets before falling over.

She took a breath and glanced around, before noticing The Captain walking over. It wasn't the first time she had shot someone, but it was the closest she had been. Only 4 feet away.

"You ok?" He asked, still surveying the area to make sure he hasn't missed anyone.

"Yeah, I'm fine don't worry." She assures him.

'Good. Because I think if you got hurt your mother would shoot me." He said, his delivery making it hard to tell if he was joking or not. After he was sure, he got everyone he walked to a table with radio equipment and contacted Prosperity, letting them know he captured the outpost.

By the time Scavengers arrived, The Captain and Carmina had already moved on.

XXXpagebreakXXX

About half hour after leaving the Outpost, the pair take a break.

"I think it's time to start heading back." The Captain says as he kneels next to the creek and splashes his face with water.

"What? Already?" Carmina says surprised.

"We start back now we should be back by dark." The Captain tells her.

"We won't get very far if we have to turn back and we home by night." Carmina said, kneeling next to him.

"You got a plan or want to just wonder?" Captain asks, eyeing her.

Carmina takes out one of her maps and points to a spot about 10 miles away.

"Back before the bombs, this was a town called Falls End. It was THE place to go in this area of the County. Right now, it's been turned into an outpost called Chop Shop. It's one of their biggest maintenance hubs in the area. We take that, we deal a blow to them and it's a shot in the arm to everyone who remembers the town from how it used to be." Carmina says, giving him the hard sell.

The Captain thinks it over, looking at the map before eyeing her.

"Ok then. That sounds like a good plan to me." He says, folding up the map and handing it back to her.

Carmina smiles as they refill their canteens and get going.

XXXpagebreakXXX

After three and a half hours, they arrive. They do a short recon, before the Captain signals for her to follow him. They head to a house nearby the outpost, and the captain tears off some board covering the windows and they head inside.

"We'll stay here for now and move when we're ready." He tells her.

"Why not just move on the outpost now?" She asks.

"Easy. It'll be dark soon and it'll be easier then. Plus we've been walking all day, so having a bit of time to rest would be good. We ain't gonna get them all in one night. This is a war, not a battle. Got to pace ourselves." He tells her, taking off his hoodie and gear and setting it down.

Carmina does admit to herself she's a little tired from all her walking, and the two quickly make themselves comfortable.

After the have a snack, Carmina looks at the captain.

"Hey, I've been thinking. We've done all this together. I mean I know it hasn't actually been that long but it feels like it but I just realized. I don't actually know your name." She says, stumbling over her words a bit.

"I don't have a name. I gave it up after the settlement I grew up at was wiped out. My way of leaving the past behind." He told her.

"Oh my god." She said covering her mouth. After a few moments, his shoulders shook and a chuckle escaped his lips.

"Ok I'm lying that never happened. Just wanted to fuck with you." He says with a grin. Carmina's jaw dropped, realizing he had been playing with her and she jumped on him, the pair rolling around a bit. Naturally, the captain would win, but he lets her come out on top.

"You jerk." She tells him, giving him a punch in the shoulder.

"Sorry. Couldn't help myself." He apologizes with a laugh. The pair lean against the wall and start to doze off as they waited for night.

"Jack." The Captain says after a moment. "My name is Jack."

"Nice to meet you Jack." Carmina replies as they both go to sleep.

XXXpagebreakXXX

"Hey Parker you got my wrench?...Parker?...Yo, the fuck man?" Highwaymen Josh said as he looked around and realized the other mechanic was nowhere to be seen. "Lazy son of a bitch. Anyone seen Parker?"

No answer.

Josh walks around, realizing he doesn't see any of the guys walking around working, nor any of the guards patrolling.

"What the fuck is everyone doing? I swear to fucking god if this is a jok-" Josh's comment stops when he turns.

On top of one of the containers, backed by the light of the moon, is a man wearing all black, pointing a bow and arrow at him. Josh barely had time to react before the Archers fingers twitches, and an arrow buried itself in Josh's skull, causing him to fall over dead.

"That's all of them." Jack said.

Carmina walked into the Chop Shop and radioed Prosperity.

When Carmina turns to signal the Captain, she sees him running among a container before jumping down. Carmina quickly grabbed her rifle and ran to see what the matter was.

By the time she caught up to the Captain, he had just finished taking out a group of Highwaymen, and was untying someone who had been held hostage. After telling the stranger they could do to Prosperity for help, they heard gunshots and took off to investigate.

They arrive to find someone in a silo being attacked by highwaymen. Jack quickly readied his bow, grabbing an arrow, drawing it, took aim and fired, then repeated the action and took out another, then grabbing his revolver at his side and fired, taking out a third.

Carmina ran over and pointed her gun, firing and taking out the last one, who had tried to get the drop on the Captain.

After finishing off the Highwaymen, the guy who had been up at the silo slides down the zip line, where the pair met him.

"Thanks for helping me out of a jam." The stranger said, shaking their hands. "Me and Pastor Jerome have been attacking convoys and freeing prisoners for a while now. But this time things went sideways. We took out a truck, but then we got blindsides by some highwaymen. They captured Jerome, and I barely made it out alive. You've got to rescue him. There might be a clue to where they took him in the truck we took down. It's not far from here."

They get directions to the wreck and get going.

"So who is Pastor Jerome?" Jack asked as they made their way over.

"He's great. An old friend of my family going way to back. He's been taking the fight to the Highwaymen for a while. We need to get him back. He'd be a great addition to what we're doing." Carmina assures him.

"Ok, well let's take a look see what got left behind." He says as they arrive. They begin looking around to try and find something. Carmina spots a body near the river and heads down. Checking the pockets, she finds a note.

"Holy shit, Jack look at this." Carmina called. The Captain walks over and reads the note.

"This wasn't bad luck, this was an ambush. If they put this much effort into catching him, I defiantly want to meet him. You know where this place they mention is?" he asks.

"Yeah, I think its pretty close by. Come on." She tells him as they get going.

XXXpagebreakXXX

Pastor Jerome sat in the back of the prisoner transport he had been tossed in, stewing over his capture. At least Ramone had gotten away. As he sat, trying to spot a way out, he heard a thud. Looking over to the side, he saw a Highwaymen on the ground being dragged out of sight. Then Carmina Rye came around the corner.

"Carmina?" Jerome whispered, trying not to draw attention. "What are you doing here? It's dangerous."

"Yeah, that's why we're rescuing you." She said, unlocking the door to let him out.

"We?" He asked as he climbed down and she tossed something in.

Suddenly there was a commotion and gunfire.

Jack was crouched behind a series of concrete blocks avoiding gunfire until there was a break, then popped out to fire quick bursts from an assault rifle. Carmina grabbed Jerome and they hide back where she had dragged the body she had knocked out. One of the Highwaymen ran to the truck and jumped in; driving it away, not even noticing that it was empty.

And as the truck drove past the remaining highwaymen, Carmina triggered the remote for the explosives she had tossed in the back, blowing it and the rest of the highwaymen up.

Jack came out from behind the blocks and handed Carmina back her gun as she gave him a knife.

"Thanks for the help. I'm Jerome." The Pastor said introducing himself. "But this isn't over yet. I wasn't the only prisoner. They were going to send me to the old Rye place to be tortured, and they have others there. We have to rescue them."

The Captain nodded and they made their way to a Highwaymen car.

"He said 'Rye'. I assume there's a connection?" he asked Carmina as they got into the Car, Jerome driving.

"Yeah. It belonged to my parents before the bombs. After we left the bunkers we tried to go back but….things didn't work out." Carmina said, thinking about her old home.

Jack was quiet for a moment.

"Once we handle the Highwaymen, we'll get your home back." He tells her. She shakes her head.

"It's fine. Let's just worry about getting the people out." She replied as they pulled over, got out and made their way on foot.

The Captain took out two that were patrolling one of the sides with a knife. He snuck around back and took out a goon that was beating a prisoner, freeing him and sending him to Jerome and Carmina so he could get away without alerting anyone.

The three climbed on top of the hanger and scoped it out.

"There are two over there, and one inside. Problem is we can't get to the two over there without being seen." Jerome said.

Jack took out an arrow, drew the bow back and took aim.

"Don't worry about them. I have a talent that lets me reach out and touch someone." He said with a slight grin before letting go, hitting then one on the right. His body had barely hit the ground before Jack drew another arrow and fired at the one on the left. Then he hooked his grappling hook to the edge and slid down, grabbing his revolver and shooting the one inside the hanger.

Holstering his gun and looking up, Jack waved to the pair on the roof. Then he heard something. Looking over, he saw a Highwaymen he missed taking aim. Knowing he couldn't win a draw when the other man already had an aim, Jack dove around the side of the hanger as bullets chewed his wake. He drew his revolver and waited for a break in the bullets when he heard a louder gunshot. Peeking out, he saw the Highwaymen falling over, Carmina holding Jerome's shotgun and leaning over the edge a bit.

Jack took a breath and waved before heading around back to meet them.

"Let's do this properly. I'm Jerome Jeffries. Folks around here call me Pastor Jerome." The Pastor said shaking the Captains hand. "I heard about you. If you're looking to do some damage to the Highwaymen, then you've got yourself an ally."

"Glad to hear it. For now, let's head back to prosperity. Plan our next moves there." Jack said as they all got back in the car and drove.

XXXpagebreakXXX

An hour later, the three pulled up alongside Prosperity.

"Thank the Lord that's over." Jerome said as he got out of the car.

"Yeah. As good as you are at handling those jerks; you're as bad at driving." Carmina said as she got out and dramatically hugged the ground.

"Hey, I warned you guys I don't so roads." The Captain said as they walked to the front gate and got in. The Captain spotted Kim heading over.

"I've been worried. I thought you were going to be back a few hours ago." Kim said.

"It's alright mom. We took two outposts, recruited some people, and even rescued Pastor Jerome." Carmina said as she hugged her mom. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the Captain heading off into the house.

"It's great to see your Jerome." Kim said breaking from her hug with Carmina to hug her old friend.

"You too Kim. I owe my life to your daughter and her new friend." He told her.

"You two must be hungry. Come on inside." Kim said as the three went inside.

XXXpagebreakXXX

An hour later, after eating, Carmina was asleep as Kim and Jerome talked on the second floor patio.

"What do you think of the Captain?" Kim asked.

"I only met him for a bit. But he seems a spirited man with a natural instinct for helping others." Jerome said. "He and Carmina are hell of a team."

Kim sighed.

"Yeah. I hate to say it but it would be best for her to keep helping him find his way around." Kim reluctantly agreed.

"How are you holding up?" Jerome asked.

Kim sighed again and took a seat, Jerome taking the one next to her.

"Not well to be honest. It's been stressful. We expected a train full of people. Specialists who would be able to help us build everything up so well, and fight back. Even all the way out here, we'd heard about Thomas Rush. Yet out of all those people, the only one to make it was the Captain. Hard not to feel defeated." Kim admitted.

"I know it can seem that way. But The Captain wouldn't have his title if he wasn't a hell of a man. And it's not the first time an unlikely choice has turned things around for us." Jerome said.

"You know, you're the second person to remind me of that." Kim said with a slight smile.

"Let me guess, Carmina?" He asked. Kim chuckled and nodded. "Has there been any word about Nick?"

Kim fell silent for a few moments. Jerome put his hand on her shoulder.

"No. Last we heard he might have been up at a place near the mountains past that old statue. But we have no way of finding out or going that far north right now." Kim said.

"I pray every day that he will be returned to us." Jerome told her.

"Thanks Pastor." Kim said, giving him a hug.

"Of course. So, you said the Captain was the only one to make it. Does that mean Rush is dead?" Jerome asked as they got up.

"No, from what Carmina told us the Twins took him. We think he's up at the old coal mine. Hopefully the Captain can make his way there soon. We need Rush if we are going to have any chance." Kim said as the pair went inside.

What they didn't know, was on the roof above them, they had an eavesdropper. Jack sighed and rubbed his eyes. It was the same here. Everywhere he went, no matter what he did, the obstacles he overcame, it didn't matter. Rush was the one they all talked about. Sure, Thomas could help organize things and run a tight ship, but what did that ship matter without the ability to protect itself? Thomas was a good man, but constantly being overlooked like this got to him sometimes. Turning, he walked to the edge, jumped down, and went to his room.

Hope County was where things changed for him.

XXXChapterEndXXX

Well, I hope you like it. One thing I'm sure you have guessed is this story will at different points look into the history of Rush and the Captain, because there was very little back-story explained and the friendship felt hollow, if there was one.

Next Chapter: More bad guys die, more allies are made, and more hijinks will follow!


	3. Blow-outs

Here is chapter 3. Enjoy.

Carmina accepted the cup from Thomas as he sat down.

"We should be in Hope County by morning. Then we'll meet up with your mom and start planning out how things will go from there." He told her.

"We can't thank you enough for being willing to help us out. The Highwaymen are monsters and we can't hope to handle them on our own." Carmina said.

"We've dealt with groups like them before, don't worry. The Captain will help train a security force so they can't just roll in after we leave." Rush told her.

Carmina glanced back to the car the Captain of Security was in at the mention of the man.

"I met him when I got on board. He seems…" She trails off as she tried to find the words.

"Determined? Focused? Committed? Intense? Dickish?" Rush said, offering a few phrases. "The Captain isn't the easiest person in the world to get along with, trust me I know. However, not many people are as good at him when it comes to things like this. We will make your home safe. Now, I have to go talk to some of my men. Excuse me."

And with that Rush walked off. Carmina sat for some time, making idle chat with a few other passengers.

The train never arrived in Hope County.

XXXpagebreakXXX

Carmina woke suddenly as the Captain shook her.

"You ok?" He asked, kneeling next to her.

"Yeah, sorry. Bad dream is all. About the train." She told him.

The pair were in an old cabin getting ready to make their move on the Empty Garden outpost in a few hours. The cabin had seen better days, as had almost everything, but for shelter it worked pretty well.

"I know what you mean. Sort of. I don't actually remember much about the crash. Hit my head during the crash so it's a bit of a blur right until I hit the water. I sort of remember the Twins saying "problem" so much it sounded like a safe word but that was probably the concussion talking." he told her. "Listen, you can stay if you want and rest. I can take care of The Garden myself."

"No, I'll be fine. Just need to wake up and stretch and I'll be ready." She assured him. He reluctantly nodded and got up, helping her to her feet.

XXXpagebreakXXX

The Highwaymen ran for the alarm, hoping to signal for backup, and that said backup would arrive in time to help.

He was about to reach for the button when an arrow hit him in the back of the knee, making him fall over. As he tried to get up, a figure walked next to him and kicked him in the face, sending him on his back.

The Archer in black everyone had been talking about.

"How many other outposts do you have in the county?" the archer demanded to know.

"Fuck off." The highwayman grunted out as his knee throbbed. "You may think you're a ghost or some shit, but everyone knows you're just a rabbit."

"What the fuck does that even mean?" The Archer asked.

"Means you're just a scared little-"he didn't get to finish before an arrow was stabbed into his eye, killing him.

The Captain walked away and looked at Carmina.

"How many of these idiots do I have to kill before they realize I'm not afraid of them?" He asked. Carmina shrugged as she called Prosperity to let them know Empty Garden was theirs.

"_Hey, can you do me a favor since you're in that area? I've heard a rumor about Sharky Boshaw being in the area around the sulfur springs with a baby. Now, I knew Sharky before the bombs, and let me tell you he is one of the last people that should be trusted with a baby under any circumstances, let alone at a place like the sulfur springs." _Kim told them over the radio.

"Ok. Just one question: Who the fuck is Sharky Boshaw?" The Captain asked after Carmina passed on the message.

XXXpagebreakXXX

"I'm going to fucking kill him with fire!" The Captain growls as he shot the approaching Highwaymen with his revolver. "You should have let me shoot him when he started talking!"

Carmina found herself wishing she hadn't lowered the bow when her friend pointed it at Sharky's back before.

They had found Sharky a few hours before, and after helping him set up traps accepted his offer for a drink. Apparently, he drank ethanol, because that's what it was, knocking the pair out for hours, until not long ago.

The Captain awoke first, just as the Highwaymen were starting their nightly attacks. After moving Carmina to a relatively safe spot, he began to fight. He was pissed and killing idiots would help. Carmina woke a few minutes after he did and started helping.

"_Shit! They're coming from every direction now. This is way more than normal, man. They are coming to finish us off!" _Sharky's panicked voice came over the radios. Glancing back The Captain could barely make the white of highwaymen outfits behind them.

"You got this?" The Captain asked, reloading his revolver.

"I'll be fine. I'm not the one who dislikes mounted machine guns." Carmina said, patting said gun on the side as it briefly cooled.

The Captain nodded and went to the other side, taking a position and starting to shoot at the Highwaymen, while trying to ignore the god-awful disco music.

As the numbers started dwindling, he heard an explosion and Carmina cry out. Glancing back, he saw one of the high-pressure pipe connections had burst, and Carmina had been injured. Drawing an arrow, he fired it at one of the last highwaymen approaching, killing him. Then he ran over, tossing a grenade, drawing an arrow and then firing it at the grenade….and missing it completely, yet still somehow hitting a highwaymen.

The Captain glanced down at Carmina and made sure she hadn't seen that, and then tried again. This time he did hit the grenade, causing it to explode and sending a pair of Highwaymen into the Sulfur pools, killing them.

"_You know, the more I think about it this…..this is a terrible place for a baby. Yeah, just terrible. All this sharp-rusted metal and sulfur fumes. I don't really know what I was thinking. Prosperity is probably the best place for us now. Imma set up shop there. You hit me up and I'll give you some toys that go boom ok?"_ Sharky said over the radio.

The Captain really wanted to shoot that idiot and dump his body in the sulfur so it would dissolve and never been discovered. However, right now he had to tend to Carmina.

He made sure she wasn't bleeding too bad, wrapped the wound, and helped her to the car they stole from some Highwaymen and drove her to The Empty Garden.

XXXpagebreakXXX

Luckily, the injury was superficial. A piece of the pipe had cut her when it exploded and cut her. Apparently, the surprise of it had caused her to step back and fall off the platform, which had hurt her pride more than anything else had. It had taken a bit, but he convinced her to head back to Prosperity, with Pastor Jerome on his way to bring her back.

"I feel so stupid that you're going to all this trouble over me." Carmina said, looking away to hide her blush.

"Hey, you're my friend. I don't have many so I tend to worry about who I do have. It's you, Pastor Jerome, and that batshit crazy sniper lady with her human skin blanket." The Captain said.

Carmina giggled thinking of Nana, who they had met the other day, who The Captain had become fond of. Despite his overwhelming preference to the Bow, he proved to be impressive with a Sniper Rifle, and earned her respect.

"I know, but it makes me feel like I'm a kid, needing help." Carmina told him.

"It'll be fine. Now I've got to get going. One of Bean's scouts found an Outpost on the water a ways away. If I hurry I can get there by nightfall." The Captain says, grabbing his gear.

"You can't take an outpost by yourself. You need help." Carmina said, sitting up briefly before a minor tinge in her side stopped her.

"I'll have Nana met me before we hit the Island Outpost. I'll contact you after to let you know it's over." He assured her.

"Fine. But be careful. We still need you." She told him. He nodded and gave her the thumbs up before leaving.

XXXpagebreakXXX

The Captain growled as he drove the boat away from the attacking Highwaymen. He had found a boat not far from the Sulfur Springs and was taking it to the meeting place with Nana, before coming across a Highwaymen patrol. They had been playing this game for some time. Suddenly he heard a noise and cursed. A lucky shot had damaged the engine and he was slowing down. He reached into his jacket and took out an explosive, putting it on the engine and jumped out of the boat.

The Highwaymen approached to finish him off, not realizing he had left the boat. Once they were close enough, the explosive went off, taking them out. The Captain surfaced and swam to the closest shore. His arms and legs were a bit tired from the swim. As he pulled himself on shore, he looked around. There seemed to a weird fog or something around the shoreline as he was coming close, but now that he was here, he didn't see anything. As he stood up to get a fix on his surroundings to continue his trip to Nana and the Outpost, the world suddenly lurched and spun, the abrupt movement sending him to his hands and knees.

When he to back up, he was shocked to realize the sun had gone down, 2 hours early. And there was a strange purple haze all around him.

He noticed some strange lights in the sky and began to walk.

_My name is Joseph Seed. I am known to some as 'The Father'._

The Captain spun around, looking for the voice that surrounded him without warning. There was nothing around. No living things. He kept a close eye on his surroundings as he walked. He found a strange symbol, then a smaller piece. He held up the smaller symbol to the larger one, noticing they fit to form a strange cross. Then it felt like something clicked in his mind. Like he had an idea of where to go next, but not a full idea. He ran to the next one. As he collected the strange small amulets and matched them to the larger symbols to form the strange cross, the idea of where to go was filled in. And all the while, the voice spoke to him

_Years ago, I heard the voice of God. He told me about a difficult path ahead. The sins of the world were cleansed with God's righteous fire. Only those who heeded the signs were spared. The flame of Eden burns away any sin that may take root again. The world wasn't ready for the Collapse, and people fought against us. They tried to break our family. They smashed everything to pieces. But we endured. You must destroy whatever hinders the truth. From the light, you will see. Only we are strong enough to live in the new world that god has given us. I followed it all the way to an ending. And a beginning. You will reveal the truth. And be welcomed into our New Eden. The winds of change have come. Our only choice is to turn away from the past. The old ways lead us to ruin. The only way forward is to live without sin._

Matching the third amulet with the cross, he suddenly noticed an even larger cross in the sky, fashioned to what appeared to be an old tower. He made his way there. The mystery of what was going on to urging him forward.

_Do you understand? God has cleansed the world of sin. And yet it remained. Sin is in our blood, our Flesh, our Soul. _

As he approached the Cross Tower, he noticed a shirtless man with a beard and tattoos standing there. The man pointed down a path, then vanished in purple mist. Looking down the path, he noticed a pair of torches burning with purple flame on either side of the path. He walked over, and when he stood next to the torches, another set lit aflame down the path, and another. As though beckoning him forward.

_God told me of the collapse. I gathered my family to prepare for it. But Hell had followed the White Horse, the one who could not walk away._

Suddenly there was a massive explosion in the distance, exactly like what the older folks had described as the bombs that ended the world. The Captain stood in shock, his hand instinctively going for his quiver even as his brain screamed how useless that was. Then he noticed the figure pointing to a rock formation in front of him, as a hatch opened up. A bunker. The Captain ran into it and closed it behind him, before beginning to explore.

_And my path ended here, in these very walls. I thought I had fulfilled my obligation to god. But he had one more thing to say to me. _

Reaching the end of the Bunker, he came upon a room with the man inside. The man motioned to a pedestal before vanishing. The Captain walked over and examined what it was. An old leather bound book with the same cross on it. He picked it up and turned it over, checking the back.

_He told me you would be worthy of this._

After that the voice stopped. He examined the room some more, finding strange notes that made no sense to him before heading back to the surface. Carefully opening the hatch, he looked out and saw the world was as he left it. Stepping outside the world spun again and returned to normal, just as it had been. Daytime, no strange purple fire or light. The book in his hand the only evidence anything had happened to him. He put the book away in his bag and continued on.

XXXpagebreakXXX

It hadn't taken long for him and Nana to clear out the Island Outpost. A Highwayman that had been inside the odd structure had spotted him. (Nana informed him it was something called a 'Dredge', and old fashioned platform used to mine old out of the ground) which caused a fight, but they had prevented anyone from sounding an alarm, and Nana took care of the guy on the jet ski before he could get away and tell anyone.

After taking care of things, they went back to shore and split up. Nana went to her tower, and the Captain to Prosperity to check on Carmina.

XXXpagebreakXXX

Carmina was just fine, and would be fully recovered in another day or so. Selene might be as annoying idiot (something he seemed to be surrounding himself with) but she knew plenty about herbal medicine to bolster Carmina's natural system to prevent infection and ensure a smooth recovery.

He sat with Carmina eating dinner and telling her about how he had thrown a highwayman into the water only for him to be eaten by DemonFish, when Kim walked over and hit him in the head.

"Ow! The fuck!?" The Captain said in surprise.

"Is this some kind of joke to you?!" Kim demanded to know.

"Only if it's funny. Then again I have no fucking idea what pissed you off this time so can you be specific?" The Captain said annoyed.

"You get my daughter hurt, you provoke the Highwaymen with your antics and you want to play games?" Kim said.

"Mom, I'm fine. And it wasn't his fault –"Carmina's attempts to stand up for her friend ended when he chuckled and put down his can.

"You want to blame someone for her getting hurt? How about you start with the moron who thought taking a baby to a sulfur spring full of explosives belonging to the Highwaymen would be a great idea! And don't forget you told us about that which is why we went." He reminded her, his tiredness making him even shorter tempered than usual.

"It's not just that. Capturing those outposts is good in the short term, but the more you get the more it provokes the Highwaymen. And until we get Thomas Rush, we don't have a lot to defend ourselves with. Are you even planning on going to the coal mines to look for him?" Kim demanded to know.

The Captain sighed and rubbed his eyes, before shoving Kim back and standing up.

"Here's a brilliant idea. Instead of whining about what a good job I'm doing getting resources for this place, why don't YOU get off your fucking ass," he punctuated his statement with another shove. "Get out of this house and try doing something for yourself!"

And with that he gave her an even harder shove, sending her into a chair that fell over. She barely got a chance to get up before the Captain grabbed her and pulled her to her feet.

"I will be fucked if I make myself a target for every trigger happy idiot out there and then get bitched at because I'm not doing things fast enough" he yelled, letting Kim go, balling his fist and pulling it back.

"JACK!" Carmina screamed.

The Captain's fist was a foot from her mother when it stopped. Everyone stood still.

"Jack…please." Carmina pleaded. The Captain looked back at her, and then stormed off.

XXXpagebreakXXX

"Uh, hey bro. I really need some help." Sharky told the Captain as he stormed past.

"Fuck off!" The Captain growled.

"Listen man, I'm sorry about what happened. Giving you the Ethanol to drink, getting you in the middle of the Highwaymen attack, and Carmina getting hurt. I really am sorry man, but I'm desperate, please." Sharky begged. The Captain paused before walking to the workbench.

"Talk fast because once I'm resupplied I'm gone." The Captain told him, restocking his gear.

"Ok, so listen. It is about Blades birth mommy, Gina. She's a highwayman. Or Highwaywoman I guess. Anyway, they wanted Blade for themselves. Don't know why I guess even they find babies adorable. But Gina wouldn't let them have him, letting Hurk and Me get away. So they sentenced her to what's called the Prisoner run." Sharky quickly explained as the Captain finished getting his gear and started to the gate. "It's a death race you see. And if you win, you go free. The screwed up part is that it's totally rigged and no one ever wins. You're the only chance we got of rescuing Blades birth mommy. Come on man you've got to help."

"We're here, so once again fuck off." The Captain said as the gates opened and he walked through. Sharky groaned and tried to think of something else.

"Did you say she's with the highwaymen?"

Sharky spun around and saw the Captain had reopened the gates and was looking at him. After confirming that, yes, Gina was a highwayman, The Captain came back inside. Sharky gave him some explosives and the Captain grabbed a new weapon. Sharky quickly showed the Captain where on the map the Prisoners Run would be taking place and a description of Gina so he knew whom to look for and the Captain quickly took off.

XXXpagebreakXXX

Interrupting the Prisoners Run turned out to be a massive stress reliever for The Captain. After taking out the Snipers, he made his way onto the track and used a combination of explosives and light machine gun fire to destroy all the other cars. After watching 'The Beefinator" explode into a massive fireball and smashed into the wall, the Highwaymen onlookers ran off as a black car pulled up and a woman got out.

"I had that!" Gina, a highwayman traitor in her, if the Captain were to guess, mid 30's to early 40's max yelled as she stormed over to him. "Look I know the stupid race was rigged. That's why I wanted to win. To shove that victory down their fucking throats. I put up with the twins bullshit for years. Kept my mouth shut and did as I was told. And all I ever asked for in return was for those bitches to leave my baby out of this. And what did they do? Try and kidnap my son and send me off to die in their stupid death race. Look, I appreciate what you did for me. But as long as Mickey and Lou are alive my baby will never be safe."

"Throwing your life away won't make him safe." The Captain said, tossing her the light machine gun after reloading it. "As it happens I make fucking Highwaymen shit up a hobby of mine. Something of a passion project. And I'm willing to let you help me. I just need you to answer a simple question for me."

Gina looked over and saw a few highwaymen trying to sneak up on the Captain while he was distracted. She pointed her new gun at them and opened fire, killing them before resting the gun on her shoulder.

"Sounds easy enough, what?" She asked. The Captain grinned and motioned for her to follow.

XXXpagebreakXXX

"He's not anywhere. None of the outposts we got seen him." One of the settlers told Kim. She sighed heavily and rubbed her eyes. No one had seen the Captain since their confrontation, and truth be told she was surprised how much stress it was causing. Yes, he was an arrogant dick, but she had underestimated the calming influence he had on people. With him suddenly missing, it was making people uneasy, especially the kids. He had this way with them, talking to them as if they were adults, yet not disclosing how bad things could be. It was one of his few redeeming qualities.

"Ok. Just….if anyone sees or hears anything let me know ok?" Kim asked. The settler nodded and left as Kim got back to work on the radio, trying to keep her mind off things.

"Carmina, have you seen my wire cutters?...I know I put them here somewhere." She said to herself as she looked. "They were just here, where did I put them? Where…."

Suddenly something on her belt moved.

"You lose something darling?" a voice spoke. Kim's breath stopped in her throat. That voice, it couldn't be. She spun around, and sure enough, her husband was right behind her. "Hey baby."

She was frozen, as though worried he would fade before her eyes like a mirage.

"Hey you know if you're busy I can always come back." Nick said with a grin on his face, and Kim rushed forward, wrapping her arms tight around him. He wasn't a mirage, he was real. After so many long months, he was back.

As Kim held tight to Nick, she heard a small laugh, Looking up, she saw Carmina walking in, her eyes wide with tears of joy as she rushed to join the hug.

"Nick how…where were you, how did you get away?" Kim eventually asked after an eternity in the hug.

"Huh, that really angry looking guy in black with the bow and arrows. He took out the guards around me before they even knew he was there, helped me to my old plane and we used it to get back here. He was just here." Said a surprised Nick, who just realized his savior was no longer in the room.

"An archer in…Jack." Carmina said with a gasp as she ran out to find him.

Kim was stunned. After their explosive argument, she honestly had expected him to leave and not come back, or continue his one-man war against the Highwaymen. Maybe even do something completely stupid. But rescuing Nick and bringing him back home was the absolute last thing she had ever expected from him.

For the first time, Kim found herself regretting how she had treated him. She had been so busy comparing him to The Deputy, her friend, that she hadn't realized that while the Captain was no Deputy, the Deputy was no Captain. Maybe the Cap…Jack, was just who they needed after all.

XXXpagebreakXXX

Carmina found her friend sitting at his favorite spot, near the back of the property. He was holding a bag in his lap. When the train was attacked, he had refused to leave the train car until he had found the bag. It had some memories from home, things that mattered to him.

"Thank you." She said once he noticed her. "Thank you for bringing my dad back."

"Don't mention it." He said, looking away.

She ignored his clear desire to be left alone and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him. He was still, and then returned the hug.

"Did you rescue my dad to apologize to my mom for what happened?" She asked.

"Does it matter why I did it?" he asked, finally looking at her.

"I guess not." She said with a small smile.

"Shouldn't you be getting back with your family?" He asked her.

"No. My mom and he deserve some time alone. And we've got highwaymen to kill." She said with a grin, finally receiving a smile from him.

"Now that's what I like to hear." The Captain said as he stood up and dropped his back. "Come on, I've got a new member of our little team for you to meet. She's the one who told me where to find your dad."

And with that the pair went out the side entrance, heading to the Chop Shop, ready to continue on.

XXXchapterendXXX

Well, here is chapter 3.

I know Kim doesn't act anything like this in the game, but I felt if the Captain were to make such big moves against the Highwaymen and seemingly ignoring the need to rescue Rush, she might have something to say, and it got their dislike of each other in the open. Now they can move forward.

Next time: The team bonds briefly before they continue to work against the Highwaymen, while meeting old faces and setting the stage for big changes.


	4. The Adventure continues

The Captain waited for the Highwaymen to walk past before pouncing, stabbing him in the throat with his knife and dragging his body out of sight. Once that was done, he changed positions and looked for Carmina. He saw her on the roof. She noticed him, held up her fist twice, and pointed down.

Two left, inside. That was what she was telling him. She had improved a lot in the time they had started working together. After their first outpost, she suggested working up some nonverbal signals to communicate, and since most of their first few days included walking, that's what they did. And it paid off. She wasn't going to beat him in a fight, but dealing with Highwaymen, whose threat was their numbers, she'd do great.

When the Captain got into position, Carmina was behind another wall, they were only feet from each other, clear line of sight to the two highwaymen: piece of cake.

Carmina glanced at him, then at the highwaymen and grinned, nodding her head to them. He took out an arrow from his quiver, drew back his bow and nodded back. He realized what she wanted to do. Carmina mouthed to the Captain. Three, two, one.

The Captain stepped out from behind the column, bow drawn back. He quickly took aim at his highwaymen and let go, the arrow sinking into his chest. At the same time, Carmina took aim with her rifle and fired a quick burst, shooting him. Both highwaymen staggered before falling over. Carmina grinned at the Captain.

"Mine hit the ground first." She told him. The Captain glanced back as they walked to the train car and shrugged.

"Mine was taller."

Carmina giggled as they opened the train car.

On their way to the Chop Shop, they heard some commotion and checked it out, discovering a group of highwaymen. Taking care of them was no problem, and they discovered yet another old friend of the Rye family, former sharpshooter Grace Armstrong, who informed them of a special new weapon the Highwaymen had stolen, along with numerous stolen supplies, likely located at the old train yard. So here they were.

"Ok, here's the goods, but I doubt that's everything. Let's see….i don't _believe it!_" The Captains annoyed tone made Carmina look over, and she was surprised to see what he had in his hands. "How did that old woman get her hands on my Saw Launcher design?"

That was a good question. She still remembered her surprise at his original one. After their escape from the train they made their way to Hope County, before coming across an old factory. Carmina had remembered and old work bench inside, and the pair worked together to scavenge as much materials as they could, with the Captain using the gathered supplies, as well as some materials from his bag, to build a radical new weapon.

It had been effective at the Highwaymen roadblock they encountered, but he had stopped using it once in Hope County, feeling that it needed more testing due to the uncertain nature of its assembly.

The Captain stepped onto the rails, and took aim, firing. The saw bounced off a train car before being buried in a tree.

"Well, looks like she improved on its design. I guess working with decent materials helps." The Captain said. Carmina looked away so he couldn't see her smile. It wasn't often the Captain complimented someone who wasn't his friend.

They quickly found the rest of their supplies, the most eventful part being when the Captain almost opened a noisy train car, only for Carmina to warn him just in time she had found a note saying it was full of skunks. That would not have been fun.

After retrieving the supplies, they rendezvoused with Grace and gave her the supplies and weapon. After she assured them that she could see well enough to drive back to Prosperity, they continued on their way.

XXXpagebreakXXX

They arrived in the Chop Shop an hour later, and made their way to the others.

Pastor Jerome, Nana, and a new woman were sitting together eating and talking while looking over a map. Jerome and Nana had been ambushing transports, freeing prisoners, seizing ethanol and equipment. Much like what Jerome had been doing before, but with Nana's sharp skills, it was easier.

"Well if it isn't the whippersnappers. Late as usual I see." Nana said with a laugh.

"We're not late, your watch stopped." Carmina said as they sat down at the table.

"Carmina meet Gina. Former Highwaywoman and current Badass." The Captain said, introducing the pair.

"I heard my dad got rescued because of you." Carmina said. Gina nodded, gauging Carmina's reaction. The younger woman held out her fist, which Gina's fist met.

It was clear many of the other scavengers didn't know what to make of Gina, but the Captain's team were accepting and willing to look past mistakes.

Jerome had advocated for forgiving those who left the Cult during the troubles before the bombs. Nana was old enough to some people regretted the mistakes they made. And Carmina owed Gina for her help in rescuing her father, so she earned goodwill.

"Gina was just telling us about a Highwaymen outpost over here, in Trailer Town." Jerome said, tapping the map to show the location of the outpost.

"That's the last Highwaymen outpost in the area you guys don't already have control of." Gina said.

"We gonna make a move on it?" Carmina asks.

"Here's what we'll do. I'll move on it with Gina. What I'm thinking for the rest of you, Bean's scouts have given us the locations of a lot of old prepper stashes, but we haven't been able to go get them. So why don't you work on that." The Captain suggests.

"Those old Preppers had some good stuff. Some of them have been raided in the years since the bombs, but plenty are still around that what they have can be of great use." Jerome said.

A game plan in place, the group quickly resupplied.

"I think this is the first time you've gone after an outpost without me. Almost a little jealous." Carmina told the Captain with a grin.

"Ah don't worry. I thought about bringing you along, figured we'd get a lot of bullets flying. But I figured we needed someone on Prep retrieval who might not break a hip if they stepped wrong." The Captain said, only to be smacked upside the head by Jerome.

"And the lord said respect thy elders before you get beaten in another chess match." Jerome in a mock version of his pastor voice, which made everyone laugh.

XXXpagebreakXXX

Trailer Town had been easy, right up until the damn dog sniffed out the Deputy. Then it became a firefight, but one they easily handled.

And after leaving there, they had come across Hurk: Sharky's cousin and Gina's husband. He had asked them to help get back his car, promising it would be amazing.

It wasn't.

The car only went a few miles an hour, and Hurk had not properly disabled the booby trap on it. Eventually they just walked out of it and let it go down a mountain to explode. Hurk made his way to the Chop Shop to build a new one, and the Captain and Gina went off another way.

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?" Gina screamed after a while, causing the Captain to jump back in shock at the sudden and violent outburst. "I can't believe that asshole. I'm sentenced to die in the fucking Prisoner run, our son is in danger, by highwaymen coming after him or his idiot uncle who thinks a rusted ass factory surrounded by sulfur is a great place for a baby. And what was he doing during that time? TRYING TO GET HIS PIECE OF SHIT CAR BACK!"

The Captain stood back and let her get this off her chest. It was clear it had been annoying her for some time. Hurk hadn't even seemed that interested in Gina when he saw her back at the Tunnel, more focused on bragging about how he thought he looked in his car.

"I mean, one of the reasons I'm glad to work with you is that I can deal with you. You're violent, simple and direct. But Hurk and Sharky? Those morons test my limits every time I'm with them. You have no idea what it's been like trying to make that relationship work." Gina told the Captain as they walked.

"Not gonna lie, I have no idea how the hell you two even got married." He admits.

"We aren't. Seriously, can you imagine either of us exchanging vows? And even if we did somehow do that, I just know he'd try to work in his fucking Monkey God in there. Don't ask, you don't want to know." She told him right as he opened his mouth.

"I guess that explains some things. I feel like I'm going to regret asking: How they fuck did you two even get together?" The Captain asked.

"Hurk and Sharky ran a distillery. I was part of a group sent to capture it. And hurk…said he loved me." Gina admitted. She tried to pretend she didn't see the Captains look. "I know how stupid that sounds trust me, but...it was kinda cute. And he reminds me of my dad, so I have a soft spot for him."

"If you say so." The Captain says as they sit under a large tree to rest up.

"I'm sorry for unloading all this on you, but I had to tell someone. I mean, Hurk's like a giant puppy. And that's not something I'm used to handling." Gina told him.

"Hey, I don't mind listening to your problems, just as long as you listen to mine." The Captain said, handing her the canteen.

"You have problems?" Gina asked, surprised. She had only known him for a day or so, but it seemed everyone had tremendous respect for him.

"Yeah….People keep talking about Thomas Rush. How we need him, can't do anything without him. And look, he's a hell of a guy, he's my friend. But the fact they basically ignore the shit I've done to wish he was around pissed me off. I was Captain of Security, but that never means anything to people." The Captain admitted.

"Hey, it does mean something. It meant something to Jerome, who put aside what he was doing to help you. To Nana, who left her Sniping Perch to work with you? To Carmina, who risks her life next to you and has her father back because of you. To me, because you protected my baby. And how about all those people in the transports you save? The people who rely on the resources you've gathered? They may not always show it, but everyone knows they'd be fucked without you." Gina told him, looking him dead in the eyes.

"Thanks. I appreciate that." The Captain said as he closed his canteen and put it in his bag before getting up. "Come on, let's go."

The pair set off.

"Hey, can I ask you a question?" Gina asked.

"You just did but sure." The Captain responded, getting smacked on the shoulder.

"How old are you? Cause I thought you were older, but then I saw you without your mask before and you look a lot younger than I thought." Gina explained.

The Captain was silent as he thought about if he should answer.

"I just turned 19 a few weeks before we came here." He admitted.

Gina was clearly surprised by this, and the Captain looked away.

"How did you get the Security position being so young?" She asked.

"I'll tell you, but I get to ask you questions, and mine will annoy you." The Captain promised.

"Bring it on." Gina challenged him,

The Captain grinned and asked his first question. 10 seconds later, he was tumbling down the hill after being punched in the face.

XXXpagebreakXXX

About an hour later, the Captain separated from Gina, who was eager to get to Prosperity and see her baby. The Captain found a trio of Highwaymen next to an old shed in an odd pattern. It seemed they had a prisoner. He distracted one of them with a rock, and then took him out with an arrow, sending him stumbling down the hill.

"Hey you ok? Did your dumbass slip?" one of the Highwaymen called, not realizing what happened, nor that his partner behind was had a knife in his back. When he turned around, an arrow buried itself in his face, killing him.

Once that was done, he turned to the prisoner. She wore a very simple grown and green outfit, and was scared of him,

"Hey, it's ok. I'm not with them." He assured her, trying to keep her calm as he took out his knife. "I'm going to free you."

She was nervous, but carefully held out her arms. The Captain cut her ropes and looked her over.

"Did they hurt you?" he asked.

"No...No, they did not. Thank you." She finally said softly.

"It's ok." The Captain said with a smile. Then the smile vanished and he glanced to his side, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Someone else is here. I'll handle him; get down so you don't get hurt."

Her eyes widened and she nodded as the Captain stood up quickly, grabbed an arrow from his quiver, drew back his bow, spun and fired, the arrow disappearing into the bushes. Then he heard another sound, and before even he knew what was going on, he had grabbed an arrow out of mid-air, inches from his face.

Another Archer it seemed.

He grabbed a throwing knife from his side and threw it, then dove into a roll, getting behind the trees before manages to stop the momentum of his roll as an arrow flew past. He got up and fired another arrow, which he could tell missed. He drew back another bow and stepped out from behind the tree, seeing his opponent.

Dressed in brown leather from animal skins, fur around his neck, and a hood, the most distinctive feature of this other archer is the wooden mask covering his face.

At the same time, they let go of their arrows, and spun to avoid getting hit in the shoulder. The Captain could feel his opponent's arrow making a slight gaze in his shoulder, another millisecond he would have been toast.

The Captain ran at his opponent, using his bow to try and throw a punch, which was ducked and received a punch to the side for his trouble, making him drop his bow. The opponent tried a kick, but the Captain ducked, hooking his arm around the leg, then grabbed the other leg with his other arm, lifted him up and threw him into the wall of the shed. Now the opponent dropped his bow. The Captain ran at the other man, but the man shifted his weight, caught the captain and slammed him through the shed wall. The Captain shifted his own weight, kicking part of the remaining wall and making it hit his opponent in the leg before grabbing a bucket from inside the shed and hitting the other one in the head with it and jumping out of the shed.

The Opponent rolled away; going for the Captain's dropped bow as the Captain went for his opponent's dropped Bow. The pair took aim at the exact same time when the girl he had rescued came between them.

"Wait, please stop." She said desperately. She turned to the man. "Please Judge, this man is not with the locusts. He saved me from them."

The opponent, the…Judge… was still before slowly releasing the tension on the bow, the captain doing the same.

The girl turned to the Captain.

"This is The Judge, a protector of my people. He came to help me." She explained to him.

"So that's why he was sneaking, to get the jump on the Highwaymen. But I had already taken care of them and thought he was back up or something." The Captain realized.

"Indeed, an accident. You both thought the other was one of the Locust number." She said, relieved the fighting had stopped.

The Captain held up the Judge's bow, and the pair tossed their respective weapons back to one another.

"That was the toughest fight I had yet. Wanna go again someday?" The Captain asked.

The other man grunted and started to a walk away.

"I'm sorry, he never speaks. Thank you again for your help." The girl said as she followed the Judge.

Once they were out of sight, the Captain rolled his shoulder and rubbed it.

That guy could really fight.

XXXpagebreakXXX

The Next Day;

The Captain stood on top of a watch post as Highwaymen walked around, going about their usual day. A lot of security for such a seemingly nothing spot. Looks like he had a lead after all. Hearing something, he repositioned himself, and waited. Soon a highwaymen climbed up, his back to the Captain. He didn't even climb up onto the platform before a knife was plunged in the back of his neck and was pulled onto the platform and out of sight.

The Captain finished his recon from his location and slid down the ladder, heading up the side of the mountain behind the warehouse. It looks like Kim was onto something when she suggested investigating the coalmines for Rush's location.

After taking out all of the Highwaymen guards, he looked around and found a locked door. After a bit of searching he found a key on a table and unlocked the door, sneaking in. He found an underground tunnel, and went inside. He found a few more guards and took care of them, trying to be more silent then usual due to the noise reverberating in the cave.

Suddenly he heard noises. Rush was arguing with his captor, and he heard Rush cry out. Running, he found a ladder and climbed up it quickly. Near the top, he drew his revolver and came out. His appearance surprised the Highwaymen, allowing Rush to get the jump on him and strangle him with his bound wrists.

"Captain?" Rush asked in shock. "Jesus I wasn't sure if you got away. You came for me you son of a bitch."

The Captain took out his knife and cut the zip ties binding Rush's hands.

"Sorry I didn't come sooner. A lot of shit going on out there." The Captain said.

"Yeah I heard. The Ghost Archer is starting to become legend from what I've heard from those guys whispering around." Rush explains as they quickly set up the mounted trike not far away. Rush gets on the driver's seat as the Captain opens the door, and then jumps into the turret.

They race out of there, Rush driving as The Captain uses his turret to take out anyone trying to catch them. After a long chase, the pair lost their pursuers and rush pulled over.

"You're gonna have to drive the rest of the way. My knee is too fucked up to drive." Rush explained, s the Captain slowly helped him out of the seat. The Captain would never admit this but he was glad for the switch. The recoil of the gun was agitating his shoulder, still sore from his fight with The Judge the day before.

"Besides, I'm the one who knows where we're going." The Captain says with a grin, helping Rush into the turret. He then sits in the driver's seat, double checks his estimated location on his map and drives off.

The Captain had never driven something

"Didn't think I'd get out of there alive. Thanks for risking you neck to save me Cap. You wouldn't believe the things I saw. One night the mine was attacked by people who looked like they were from the Stone Age. They were fighting shotguns with bows and arrows. They took shots and just kept coming. Listen, I don't believe in wizards, or magic or whatever but those people had something, something that..I can't explain. If we can find out what their secret is, maybe we might have a chance against the twins." Rush said.

Soon, they pulled up to Prosperity, and once the guards on the wall noticed them, they started cheering.

The Captain helped Rush off the turret and into the community.

Once they were inside, Carmina ran over.

"Mom! Whoa, slow down, slow down." Carmina gave him a once over. "Jesus Rush, they really did a number on you."

"It's nothing. Day or two and I'll be fine." Rush assured her.

"Did I hear right? You Thomas Rush?" Kim asked as she came out of the house.

"You must be Mrs. Rye. Carmina told me a lot about you. Your daughter is tough as they come." Rush said.

"Preaching to the choir." Kim said before helping the Captain guide rush to a spot he can sit down and sending her daughter to get alcohol.

It wasn't that bad, a dislocated knee, which they were able to pop back into place after a few minutes.

Rush wasn't in a good headspace, given the loss of all the specialists from the train, his captivity, and the situation they were now in, but Carmina and Kim gave him the hard sell. Eventually, Rush looked at the Captain.

"You think we can handle this?" he asked, seeing the Captain's opinion.

"Yeah. Don't get me wrong we've got a collection of fools, morons, idiots and general pains in the ass, but hell, that's worked out for us pretty well in the past."

"Can't argue with that. Ok. Let me get some rest and we'll start work first thing in the morning. You had better lie down to Cap. You look like hell." Rush said, patting his friend on the shoulder before going inside.

The Captain went to his spot, glad to have a chance to rest. As he walked, he saw Gina rocking her baby to sleep. She spotted him and smiled. He waves back and sat down, looking at his bag, thinking about the trip he'd been on since arriving.

Looking around, he gave a rare smile.

Morons, idiots, and fools they may be. But for the first time in a long time, he had started to feel comfortable someplace.

He reached behind him; taking out the book he had found in the bunker and started to read. Maybe the mystery of that island would be explained in its pages.

XXXchapterendXXX

And here is chapter 4. This one came easy for me.

Yes, the Captain fought the Judge. Something I thought about during my replay of the game and thought it would be fun.

Next chapter will explore the first meeting of the Captain and Rush, explore friendships, and by the end, one of the biggest battles in the game will take place.

Chapter 5: Defend Prosperity.


	5. Not Defend Prosperity

(Not) Defend Prosperity:

The Captain and Gina were scouting out a cave that scouts had reported as being used as a location to store ethanol. The captain looked around with his binoculars, and then passed them to Gina.

"This'll be easy." He said as he took his bow in hand. He paused when he heard Gina sigh. "What?"

"Nothing just…do you think I'm attractive?" She asked after a few moments.

"Where did this come from?" The Captain asked.

"I was with Hurk last night, and he wanted to…you know. But he couldn't. He's getting at that age where he can't. Not that he was all that good when he could to begin with." She said.

The Captain started thinking that maybe walking right into the cave with a large assortment of explosives wasn't a bad idea.

"Do you realize that in the year and a half I've been with Hurk he never once satisfied me? I'm 41. I'm still in my prime." She told him.

"Gina, I say this as your friend, but there are a group of words that never need to be said out loud. They include Hurk, bedroom and satisfied." he tells her.

"Yeah I guess so." She said looking away.

The Captain took aim with his arrow and relaxed. He was about to let go when.

"Do you want to fuck after this?" Gina asked. The question was so unexpected the Captain blinked and lost his aim, the arrow missing his target and burying itself in the dirt next to him. The Highwayman spun around and saw the arrow in the ground. Before the Captain could take him out, he shouted to the others what was going on, causing them to mobilize.

After a short firefight made difficult by the fact the Captain and Gina had to be careful what they hit, lest the place explode. This meant the Captain had to get closer then he usually preferred, using his Bow in his right hand to punch and his knife in his left for follow up stabs, and the bodies of Highwaymen as bullet blocking meat shields.

After finally dealing with the last one, he sighed and rubbed his temples.

"Where the hell did that come from?" The Captain eventually asked Gina.

"I just thought it might make things easier. It's not as if we'd be in a relationship. Just something to take the edge off. We get along well, and you do look kinda cute." She told him.

"Ok, but you're married." He said.

"Not really. Like I said, we never did an actual ceremony." She reminded him.

"Ok, but here's the thing…I've never actually…" the Captain trailed off.

"Seriously? I kinda figured you'd have women lining up to be with you." She admitted.

"Not really, I'm not exactly approachable to most people. And besides, even if you aren't married you're still with Hurk, and I don't want to cause problems." He told her.

"Ok how about this. I'll talk to him and if he says yes, will you?" She asked.

"Ok, fine. If Hurk says yes, I will gladly bend you over a table or something." The Captain said, trying to hide a grin. While he did think Gina was an attractive older woman, this was about the last thing he'd ever expected to hear from her. Still, might be fun.

XXXpagebreakXXX

It had been a week since the Captain had rescued Thomas Rush from the Twins, and upgrading Prosperity had been going well. The Captain and most of his team had spent their time off site, gathering supplies from Prepper stashes and other places.

Rush sat down after helping move some furniture as Carmina handed him some water. He took a drink and noticed some kids walking up.

"Excuse me Mr. Rush." One of the kids asked. "But can we ask you a question?"

"You can ask later. We've got things to do." Carmina told them with a gentle smile.

"Nah I need a break. What's the question?" he asked.

"How did you meet the Captain?" a girl asked. That got Carmina's attention as she looked at them.

"Well I suppose that's a fair question. Come on; let's go over there so we sit in the shade while I tell it." Rush said as the group got behind the house, in the cool shade.

XXXpagebreakXXX

5 years ago:

_I was in Chicago, still trying to gather people to work on my build teams. I was trying to help a community deal with a gang that was trying to move in on their homes, a lot like here. This gang called itself 'The Railerz', and they used the underground subways to move around, store equipment and launch attacks._

_I was looking for any survivors of a group that tried to go after a Railerz storehouse. It was their hope that the supplied would be of use in fighting them off, but it was a trap._

"Hands up sucker." A voice came from behind Rush. A Railerz gangster, clad in the group's signature green and white colors, was behind him with a gun to his back.

_I let my guard down, and it almost cost me._

"Now, your gonna tell me all you know about that commun-agh!" the gangster spasmed suddenly, then again and fell over. Rush realized a pair of arrows were sticking out of his back: one in his left shoulder blade, the other in the back of the neck. Looking up, Rush could see a figure moving, slowly approaching. Rush could see he wore a biker outfit similar to what some Railerz wore, but this was painted black, and had black rags sewn into parts of it, giving it an unusual look.

_Now, naturally, he wasn't the Captain by this point. He wouldn't get the title until 2 or so years after we met. However, he already had a title they liked to use for him. _

Rush watched as the figure took off his sack like mask, revealing a shockingly youthful face. He had to be at least 13 or 14 years old. But despite the young age, Rush could see in how the young man carried himself, how he glanced around corners, how he removed the arrows from the dead Railerz and put them into the quiver on his back: He knew full well how to kill.

"Coming here by yourself is a good way to get dead." The teen said as he leaned against the wall, hitting his leg and rubbing it.

"Are you ok?" Rush asked.

"Didn't have a good shot on that guy until he moved on you, so I had to stay hidden, and my leg fell asleep." He explained. "Who are you?"

"My name is Thomas Rush. I'm trying to help the community fight back against the Railerz. What's your name?"

The figure looked over Rush before pulling the mask back on.

"How about I tell you what those losers call me?" He said before telling Rush and turning the corridor and vanishing.

_Der Geist: The Ghost._

_I found what few survivors there were and went back to the community. One of the leaders of it was a woman named Margret. She had been a leader in the local community even before the bombs. She had the unenviable task of trying to keep spirits raised; a lot like Kim does here._

"I'm glad you managed to save a few people. We need all the help we can get." Margret told him as they put guns in a locker for later.

_When I asked her about Der Geist, she explained that it was a figure that had been making life hell for the Railerz for some time. He got his name from his apparent ability to sneak in and out of Railerz territory without being seen. After we stocked the gun locker, she sent me over to help her son scout out places to find food. Moreover, by now you've probably guessed that the son was in fact Der Geist._

"So, what your hobbies Der Geist?" Rush asked as they walked the streets checking for places that might still have food.

"Someone has to take the fight to them, and so far I'm the only one who's had any luck." Jack, as he was known then, explained.

"Listen-"Rush's comment was stopped when Jack spun around and pointed at him.

"No you listen. I know what you're going to say because everyone else already said it before I decided to stop asking to fight. Unless we stop the Railerz no one will be safe. I know it's dangerous but not fighting is more dangerous." Jack said passionately.

"Actually I was going to say 'Listen, I may not like the idea but our need for people with that kind of talent is more important them what we're comfortable with." Rush says.

"…what?" Jack is surprised.

"If we want to beat back the Railerz we need someone like you." Rush explains. Jack clearly didn't expect that.

"Oh….good." Jack says after a second.

"That being said we need a plan to deal with this beyond 'put a couple arrows into them." Rush says. Jack is silent, then grabs Rush by the arm to stop him from walking.

"I know what will end this, but not how to do it." Jack says. He leads Rush through the city for about half an hour before they arrive at an old office building. They head up near the top and Jack points out to an area lit up not far away.

"That's where the Railerz have their main operations, an old railway marshalling yard." Jack said.

"So that's the where. Tell me about who." Rush asked.

"Now that's what's interesting." Jack said as he took out binoculars, looking around before passing them to Rush. "Down there is a man in a white lab coat. That's who we need to put down. His name is Walter Corvitz, aka Balagan. He's an old world super villain. In the early 2000's, he was responsible for a number of fires and bombings, and even seized some old storerooms in the subway system, storing dangerous chemicals in them. He was in jail for years, and got out right before the bombs fell. That's how he took over; his access to those chemicals gives him leverage with the gang."

"How do you know all that?" Rush asked, looking the teen over.

"I asked nicely." He replied.

Rush decided it was best he not question further.

"I've spent the last 3 months investigating that yard. Even I can't sneak in there and get all the way to Balagan." Jack said, crouching down, looking it over again, as if hoping to see something he missed.

"Maybe you need a new perspective. You said you couldn't sneak in. Maybe you're looking at this wrong." Rush said looking around, scoping the area out, and considering the resources they have.

"What are you thinking?" Jack asked.

"Not sure yet….you said Balagan stored dangerous chemicals underground. Know of any spots where they might still be?" Rush asked.

"I have a few ideas. Balagan wouldn't have gotten everything at once. But I'll need a day to check them." Jack told him.

"Once we see what materials we have to work with we can come up with a solid plan. " Rush said, his background as a military coordinator helping him start to assemble a plan of attack. Jack nodded and looked back at the marshalling yard.

"Storm's coming. We'd better get underground for the trip back." Rush said looking at the sky. Jack nodded, leading Rush to ground level, and into an underground passage and heading back to the community.

_Now, unfortunately, I don't think your parents would be happy with me if I went into all the details of what happened, but it involved a night attack, a train, some of their chemicals and a lot of explosives._

_But after our attack, some of the surviving Railerz launched a retaliatory attack. The one in charge was someone Der Geist was familiar with, describing him as stubborn, stupid and reckless._

Rush and Der Geist barely managed to get behind cover before the subway tunnel was filled with bullets.

"They aren't even aiming!" Der Geist shouted so Rush could hear him.

"With this many bullets in such a confined space they don't need to aim." Rush explained. The pair started trying to make their way to safety using side passages before they came across an injured scavenger, one of the guys who had helped them in their attack of the marshalling yard.

"Getting him to safety is gonna take time. I'll stay here, try and pick them off." Der Geist said as he pulled his mask on.

"Are you sure? There are a lot of them." Rush asked, picking the guy onto his shoulders.

"I don't have a chance of stopping them, but if I can hold them long enough, at the rate they're going they'll be out of ammo soon. Besides, I can't lift his ass." Der Geist said, going through his bag to see what equipment he still had.

Rush took his revolver out of his holster and held it out.

"Take this. You'll need it. You don't have many arrows left." Rush said. He was right, all the fighting at the rail yard left him with about a dozen arrows left. Accepting the sidearm and some bullets, Der Geist got into position as Rush left.

After a few moments of waiting for a break in the bullets, Der Geist sighed. He had not thought this plan through at all.

XXXpagebreakXXX

_I got the scavenger back to the community's forward position, the point where we mounted the front of the attack to draw attention. Immediately after getting him some help, I grabbed an assault rifle and some ammo and prepared to go back._

"Wait a minute you can't go back. Did you see how many are storming the tunnels? It's suicide." Margret said grabbing his arm.

"I've got to get back there fast or that kid is toast." I said before taking off back into the tunnels. After a moment, her eyes widened and she spun around, looking for her son. She grabbed a gun and took off after me.

_Unsurprisingly, Der Geist had been forced to give up a lot of ground to the remaining Railerz since I left him. What was very surmising was how many he had taken out. That being said they were making him earn every one he got. When we caught up to him he had lost his jacket and mask (later on I learned they had caught fire from a Molotov), and gotten shot in the left arm._

"Hey your back. Just in time. I need a sit down. You handle a few and I'll be right back in the fight in a minute." Der Geist said, kneeling to try to reload the revolver while holding the gun with his knees and reloading it with his good hand.

"Leave it to me." I told him, taking a grenade from my belt and tossing it at them, making them scatter before it went off.

"COME ON YOU USELESS FUCKS!" The new "leader" said 'motivating' his crew, who were losing faith rapidly. 'IT'S A PUNK KID, A WHORE AND A COWARD! HOW HARD CAN IT BE TO KILL THEM?"

"Just when I thought his voice couldn't get more annoying." Der Geist said as he tried to get up.

"No! Stay down. You're hurt!" Margret yelled at her son while Rush leaned out from cover to fire some rounds.

"I'm fine. Just a scratch. Rush, all I need is a shot and I can take him down." Der Geist said.

Rush glanced down the corridor the Railerz were approaching from, and then helped Der Geist up.

"You sure you can do it?" he asked.

"I just need an opening, a few seconds." Der Geist said confidently.

Margret looked at her son and sighed, taking off her grenade belt. It had some frag and smoke grenades.

"Will this work?" She asked. Rush nodded and got ready. He tossed out a frag grenade, then a smoke, then repeated the process.

The smoke cover, which hid a few explosions made the Railerz nervous about moving up, as they didn't know what would come next.

"KEEP GOING YOU IDIOTS!" The new leader screamed.

A glean of metal shined from inside the smoke. Der Geist was in the middle of the smokescreen.

While the Railerz couldn't see him, it had the equal effect of Der Geist not being able to see his target. Rush watched as the teenager with the touch of death closed his eyes, mumbling under his breath and took aim, before firing.

The screaming was silenced almost instantly.

"Fuck this, let's get out of here!" they heard from down the tunnel as Railerz took off running.

Once the smoke completely cleared, the Railerz were running off, having left their new 'Leader' behind. Rush and Jack went up and found him on the ground, the shot having hit in the chest. He was still alive, but judging by the blood dripping from his mouth, not for long.

"Not a popular guy: didn't even try to bring him." Rush said, making sure none of the Railerz were coming back.

Der Geist stood over him, pointed his gun and pulled the trigger. Click….Click…..BANG!

Rush looked at the teen, who shrugged.

"I have one hand. Reloading isn't easy." Der Geist said, setting the gun down before picking it back up by the barrel and holding it out to Rush. Rush took the gun, put it in the holster, then took the holster off his belt and handed it to him

"Keep it. You earned it." Rush said. Der Geist looked at him in surprise, and then nodded, taking the gun.

"Thanks." He said, before shaking Rush's hand.

"Let's head back to the community. They'll be a celebration after this." Margret said, smiling.

XXXpagebreakXXX

_As the celebration died down, I approached Jack._

"To bad you aren't coming with us. We could probably use someone like you." I told him. Jack nodded.

"Probably, but this is my home." Jack said looking around, then blinking in surprise as his mother came over with a large bag.

"I've got your things packed but you may want to double check to make sure I didn't forget anything." She said.

"Why? Mom, I'm not leaving." Jack told her.

"I thought Rush would have asked you by now." She said surprised.

"He did but how you know?" Jack asked.

"Because Rush isn't an idiot." She said. "And he's smart enough to know he needs someone like you to help people down the road."

Jack looked at Rush and sighed, hugging his mom and going to check if she forgot to pack anything.

"I'm surprised you're so willing to see him go." Rush admits.

"It'll break my heart to see him go, especially since I know I might not see him again. Nevertheless, you need him. Seeing you two working together and that shot in the tunnel convinced me of it. He has a god given gift for dealing with the monsters, because he was born for this world even more then they were." She said, wiping a tear from her eye.

"I'll do what I can to keep him safe." Rush promised.

"I hope he does the same for you." Margret said. "If you two look out for each other, no one can stop you."

_Eventually Jack did agree to come along, and as we boarded the train, I watched Margret hand her son something wrapped up, which he put in his bag and gave his mom a tight hug._

"You ready to go?" I asked. Jack was silent as he watched his home, and his mother, fade into the distance. He sighed, ran his fingers though his hair, shook his head and grinned.

"No, but once we find someone that needs killing I'm sure my attitude will change." He replied. "Got any fabrics? I need to make a new Der Geist outfit."

Rush laughed and went about introducing the newest member of the team.

XXXpagebreakXXX

(The Present)

"Naturally it wasn't just jokes and ghost outfits. While The Captain is great at his job, he can certainly be difficult to work with. The key to making things work well between us was figuring out how to use our strengths together." Rush explained, the kids hanging onto his worlds.

"But how did he go from Der Geist to the Captain?" A girl asked.

"Sorry, only one story per day." Rush said with a smile as he got up and went to Kim as Carmina went to help her father with the garage.

"It's really coming together." Kim said, looking over what everyone had done.

"It is. I'm impressed with your people." Rush told her.

"They've worked too hard to go easy now, especially when it means building up our home." Kim said.

They noticed the front gate opening, and the Captain and Gina walked in. The Captain went to his usual spot in the back while Gina went over to Hurk and Sharky, taking her baby and rocking him.

"I know what you meant when you said the Captain isn't easy to get along with." Kim said. "I thought of him as a selfish, arrogant crazed maniac. But then he goes deeper into Highwaymen territory then anyone here has tried, all to rescue my husband."

"Can I share a secret with you Mrs. Rye? The Captain is defiantly a crazed maniac. But that's his secret." Rush said with a laugh. Kim smiled and nodded before heading inside.

XXXpagebreakXXX

The Captain continued to read the book from the bunker. It seemed to be part philosophical, part religion, part madness. He would head back out in the morning and gather more supplies. Hopefully the improvements to Prosperity would be finished soon.

Putting the book away after a few chapters, he gets up. He notices Gina going inside with her baby. Some of Prosperity were still weary of having her there, but they kept their mouths shut, around her at least. Gina spotted him and winked before going inside the building to put her son down for bed.

The Captain chuckles before sitting down and leaning against the wall, nodding off.

XXXchapterendXXX

Ok, a few things first: I had intended to include the defend prosperity mission in here but I decided not to so as to avoid making the chapter to long. Since we know nothing about the Captain and Rush's past, I decided to expand things and look into how they met, how the Captain earned his title, and who he was before.

Also: Balagan. He was partially inspired by a real life figure by the name of Joseph Konopka aka Dr. Ch os. He was responsible for incidents like power failures and system interruptions in power plants, arsons, hijacking radio and television signals, disabling air traffic control systems, and more. He was eventually caught converting storerooms in subway tunnels into his own storage for potassium and sodium cyanide and was sent to jail in 2003, and in fact only got out in July of this year. I'll probably go into more detail about the operation against Balagan more later.

Next time: Defend Prosperity, for tots real.


	6. Defend Prosperity: for Reals

Defend Prosperity, for reals.

Carmina hugged her dad as they looked around their home.

"I can't believe how much things have already improved. A month ago it wasn't anywhere near this fortified and built up." Nick said looking around, watching everyone work.

"A month ago you weren't even here." Carmina says with a smile.

"Yeah, that's true." Nick said giving his daughter a hug before reluctantly heading to the helipad to help Roger with the helicopter. Much as Nick would rather get his airplane up and running, having the helicopter able to make trips outside the county would be of great help.

Rush and Kim were making plans for a big cook out type celebration to boost morale once everything was finished in the next few days.

Carmina had to admit much as she was willing to help around Prosperity, she was starting to miss being out with Jack and the others.

Speaking of, Jerome and Nana would be back in a few hours, with the Captain and Gina behind them after stopping to check on a reported stash.

It'd be nice to see everyone again.

XXXpagebreakXXX

The Captain took a running leap off the roof of the church and landed on a Highwayman, the momentum and weight causing the knife to go into his skull with no difficulties at all. His buddy spun around and got chewed on by Gina's LMG for his trouble.

The Captain groaned as he got up.

"You know, jumping down onto guys like that is a fun way to take them by surprise, but after a while it's hard on the knees." He tells her.

"Don't you talk to me about 'hard on the knees'." She says with a grin. The Captain shrugs.

"You're the one who keeps making losing bets." He countered. She pouts before he tosses her the keycard to the bunker. She heads down to secure the supplies inside while he does a check of the area.

After a few minutes, The Captain makes his way to the bunker to see what supplies Gina has found. However, right before he walks in, he realizes her clothes are left outside the door. Seeing this, he chuckles and shakes his head before walking inside.

XXXpagebreakXXX

Jerome fired his shotgun, taking out the lock on the prisoner van door so the people inside could get out. A highwayman attempts to get the jump on him, when a bullet from Nana's Sniper takes him out. Jerome opens the door and lets the prisoners out.

"Head on down to the outpost not far from here, it's under Scavenger control. You'll be safe there." Jerome tells them, giving them directions to where they need to go. The pair thank the Pastor and drives the van to the outpost.

"_I think that makes around 50 we've saved from those hooligans." _Nana said over the radio to Jerome.

"Sounds about right. The Lord is on our side." Jerome said as he heads to Nana's position, an old Hunter's perch set up in a tree "We should start making our way to Prosperity. The party should be almost ready."

"Oh you asking me out Pastor?" Nana asked before laughing. "Oh, it'd be nice to see some respectful young'ins instead of all these highwaymen."

"I agree. Still, things are looking up for the time being. The highwaymen are still a threat but we're pushing back against them." Jerome said as the pair made their way to the sidecar motorcycle they used to get here. "Think we'll beat the Captain and Gina back to Prosperity?"

"I have a feeling we might, especially if Gina has anything to say about it." Nana replied before laughing again. Jerome looked at her but didn't say anything as they drove off.

XXXpagebreakXXX

"I thought this was just to take the edge off. Seems a bit more frequent then that." The Captain said as he and Gina dressed.

"Hey it's been over 2 years since I felt this good; I'm making up for lost time." Gina says as she fixes her pants. As what has become usual, her top is the last piece of clothing to go on. "Besides, you haven't turned me down yet."

"You've got me there."He admits. While he hasn't been sure about the idea when first suggested, it was turning out to be a very fun idea.

After they finished dressing, they gathered the supplies and went topside. The Captain noticed a lone highwaymen looking around. He hadn't been there when they went below, so he must have just arrived, likely looking for whoever killed the highwaymen in the area. In other words, them.

"I'll handle this." He tells her, getting his bow ready.

"Wait, you still got that shovel?" Gina asked.

"Yeah, why?" he questioned. Gina grinned and whispered in his ear.

After a moment, he took out his shovel, took aim and threw it. They watched it sail through the air, and slice into the highwayman's neck.

"Got him." The Captain said heading over to get the shovel back.

"Didn't go all the way. Only half won." She pointed out.

"So what do I win?" he asks.

"We'll see." Gina says with a grin. Not long after they began their relationship, Gina had begun making bets with him. She usually lost, but sometimes he'd let her win to change things up. This was the first "kinda tie", so it would be interesting.

The pair loaded the supplies they'd gathered into the back of the truck they were using and drove off to prosperity.

XXXpagebreakXXX

The Captain and Gina arrived in Prosperity not long after Jerome and Nana did, and the party seemed to be in full swing. The atmosphere was livelier then it had been since he had arrived. A few kids were playing a game as he walked past and waved to Kim.

"Hey. Come on over, we're just getting started. Get it while it's hot. Stuff that smells this good won't last long." Kim said as she lead him to Rush, who was operating a grill.

"I will take that as a compliment." Rush said with a grin as he worked the grill. Carmina smiles as she fixed her plate.

"Mom thought it'd be a good idea to have a little dinner for everyone. Boost the morale. I'd say its working." Carmina said as she went to a table with Gina.

"We all need a little down time." Kim said holding a plate out to Rush.

"Except for her, she's got no quit." Rush said putting some food on the plate.

"Don't expect that to change." Kim said, handing the plate to the captain and looking around with a smile. "I can't remember the last time I hosted this many people. Might have been when I told the town I was pregnant."

Kim tried not to look behind her, knowing her daughter was there. Carmina turned to face her daughter with a sheepish smile.

"Mom..." she said in that whine of a child who doesn't want to be embarrassed in front of her friends, walking over and hugging Kim.

"They were all so happy for your dad and I." Kim recalls with a faraway look in her eyes.

"It's not perfect, and there's still work to do, but it sure is nice to have something to be happy about again." Rush said from the grill.

"I'll drink to that." Kim said before looking at the Captain. "And we wouldn't have any of this if it weren't for you….now come on, grab a drink. It's long overdue."

Jack had heard that in the Old World, people his age wouldn't be allowed to drink. But that was then, and this was now. And given everything he had put himself through; no one was going to deny him booze.

As the Captain picked up his beer, a cold chill went down his spine. He looked around. He had been through enough scraps to trust when the calm was over and the storm was ready.

Sure enough, fireworks shot in the air from a distance. Everyone took immediate notice and the fun atmosphere quickly ended.

"It's them." Rush said, giving voice to what everyone thought.

"We need to get the kids inside." Kim said.

"Come on." Carmina said running to the front gate. The Captain grabbed his bow and noted that Nana, Jerome and Gina were getting ready in case an ambush happened while they were away.

"I know exactly what's going on." The captain said as they stepped outside. "Trouble."

The twins and a small group of highwaymen weren't far off. They had hostages.

As he and Carmina approached, the Captain came to a horrifying realization.

He would probably have to hear the twins talking. God he didn't want to listen to them talk. Did they honestly think he hadn't heard their exact same spiel elsewhere?

Mickey and Lou then confirmed his fears, and started talking.

XXXpagebreakXXX

"You think they'll be ok?" Kim asked Rush. As they waited for word on what was happening.

"We've got to trust the Captain and Carmina. They'll be careful….well, Carmina I'm sure will be. The Captain….who knows with him." Rush admitted. Kim gave him a surprised look. "He may be my friend, but he's not exactly what you'd call a stabilizing element"

"Someday I have to hear more about how you two met. He seems difficult." Kim said, trying to focus on anything besides her worry for Carmina.

"Oh he is, trust me." Rush said, knowing what Kim was doing.

XXXpagebreakXXX

The Captain tried to pay attention. He really did. But he stopped paying attention about a minute after the twins started talking. He had heard this same thing so often he could make a drinking game out of it. At least they seemed to be wrapping up.

"Don't you be here when we come back." Mickey said tossing him the pin for a grenade one of the kids was holding.

"Do me a favor." The Captain said as they walked away. "Send someone, send everyone. Just don't send anyone you're going to miss."

The Twins shared a look as the Highwaymen drove off. The Captain put the pin back in the grenade and pocketed it.

"You were right. It was trouble." Carmina said, comforting the kids.

"No, now it's fun." The Captain said as he made his way back to prosperity.

XXXpagebreakXXX

After returning and informing rush and Kim what was going on, the Captain recruited Sharky and Hurk and went to work prepping he area for the fight. Gina had told them they'd likely attack at dusk, a favorite highwayman tactic. Thay gave them some time, but not a lot.

Leaving Sharky and Hurk to finish the rest of the outside prep, the Captain went inside to prepare.

He walked to his spot and took out the package his mom had handed him before he left home. Slowly, he unwrapped it. A short double-barreled shotgun, with golden flames engraved all over its black barrel.

Carmina walked over.

"I've never seen that before." She commented.

"It was my fathers. He gave it to my mother when they separated. She gave it to me when I left home. She told me only to use it if I had a good heart. It couldn't be that I wanted to live. It had to be that I wanted to protect a place like it was my own. I had to want to protect others from evil. Because then the gun would protect me." The Captain explained. After a moment, he put the shotgun in its hostler, fixed it to his belt and went to the weapons bench.

Rush walked over to Kim.

"The Highwaymen will be here any minute. We need to be ready." He said.

"Leave it all to me Rush, you know this is what I live for." The Captain said from the weapon's bench.

"Captain no one is doubting you but this is still a serious matter." Kim said.

"No one said it isn't. Nevertheless, we've got a delightful collection of crazy fools and only an idiot wouldn't use that to our advantage. Sharky is planting explosives around the area to help control the movement of the battle. Nana and Hurk will be up on the roof, providing sniper and additional explosive support. Gina will be on the wall. You, Rush, Carmina and Jerome will be outside the main house dealing with anyone who somehow gets in the wall." The Captain said.

"And where will you be?" Rush asked, knowing the likely answer.

"I'll be outside the wall. Anyone who wants at this place has to get past me." The Captain said as he finished what he was working on.

"That'll make you a prime target Cap." Rush said.

"Rush, you may be the expert on building up a community, but there isn't anyone better than me as filling a mass grave." The Captain said walking toward them. He was wearing his usual outfit, along with a large shield on his left arm and black face paint all over his face. He was a man ready for war.

The Captain stood in front of the main house and looked around.

"The highwaymen expect us to roll over and die. But I sure as hell ain't gonna do that. What about you Hurk?"

"Hell no man, I'm ready to fight." Hurk said as he held up his rocket launcher.

"What about you Gina?"

"Fuck no, I'm gonna fight and protect my kid!" Gina said, holding up her gun as well.

"Carmina, what say you?"

"This is our home, not there's!" Carmina said.

"Fuck the Highwaymen. Fuck them and the horse they rode in on! They want a war they got one. You wanna run away, we won't stop you. But if you staying, be ready to fight!" The Captain yelled, the community cheering in response.

The a firework launched from the distance.

"That's the scout. Everyone be ready!" Rush said.

The Captain took a moment and mumbled under his breath before stepping outside the gates, pulling his hood up. He could hear the Highwaymen's terrible music playing, and soon their first wave was coming.

One of the first ones to approach was a group in a car. The Captain stabbed the Shield into the ground and grabbed an arrow with red feathers. The shield wasn't just for protection; it also held additional arrows as well as specialty arrows like this one. He drew it back, took aim and let go. The arrow had true aim, hitting the driver and bursting into flames. With the driver panicked from fire, he lost control and the car drove off the side of the road.

Seeing a pair on a motorcycle and sidecar coming, The Captain grabbed another arrow and fired, taking out the driver. But the sidecar kept the ride stable as the passenger took aim and fired, causing the Captain to duck behind the shield. He drew his revolver and fired, shooting the passenger. He quickly holstered the gun again as Gina started shooting at a group of highwaymen coming from a section of rocks and trees. The Captain stepped out from behind the Shield and fired another arrow, and another.

One of the highwaymen rushed at him, swinging his gun like a club. The Captain ducked, stabbing him in the side with his knife before using him as a shield to protect himself from incoming fire.

Sniper shots rang out as the Highwaymen were taken out by Nana.

"We got Highwaymen coming in from the left." Rush told him over the Radio. The Captain dropped the meat shield and took off, seeing four incoming. He quickly drew his revolver and took the four out before holstering it, drawing an explosive arrow and firing, taking out a carful of incoming highwaymen.

"Shit they're coming from the trees." Rush said. The Captain took a breath and took off. He ran to the trees, firing a pair of arrows as he ran. He stabbed one in the face, kicked another sending him back. The third raised his gun to fire when the Captain sent a throwing knife at him. Before the Captain could plan his next move, a pain in his back shot up, sending him stumbling forward. The one he had kicked had gotten back up and shot him in the back. Before the highwaymen could follow up, he was shot in the chest. The captain slowly got up and began reloading the revolver as he made his way back to the shield.

Using metal plates for added protection had been a good idea. Sure, it still hurt but it bought him time.

The battle continues to wage on, with the captain running out of arrows. He dropped the bow and grabbed the LMG he had stashed outside while prepping with Hurk and Sharky. He had a feeling this would drag out, and he was right. He was starting to reach the point where he needed to plan out his movements better; he was running short of breath and energy. It looks like the Twins took his "send everyone" line literally.

He stood his ground and fired, taking out whoever dared come for his home. He was reloading when he heard a loud horn.

"They got trucks….Shit they got ramps on them. There gonna try and ram the wall. Don't let them!" Rush yelled.

The Captain soon spotted a large truck barreling down the road heading right for them.

"Sharky!" The Captain shouted, hoping the explosive loving idiot could hear him over all this.

Luck was on his side. Once the truck reached the spot, Sharky's explosive went off, blowing it up. A second truck came from the west, meeting a similar fate. The third, which came from the path between, was taken out by Hurk's rocket launcher.

"Oh no man, we got another one heading toward the front gate. We already used that explosive man." Sharky called out over the radio.

The Captain spun around thinking. He grabbed the final three explosive arrows from the Shield, quickly tied them together. Then he took aim and fired. Time slowed down as he watched the arrows fly, hitting the truck's front left tires. It bounced as it came so close to tipping over. Time was still slow as The Captain reached into his jacket and, almost without realizing what he was doing, produced the grenade the Twins made the child hold. He threw it, and held his breath. The grenade exploded, and while it didn't have enough power to destroy the truck, it did add enough force to tip it over, crashing.

"YES!" the Captain said, right before a Highwaymen fired a rocket at him. The shot missed, but the force of impact still sent him back. He hit the wall with a thud ad collapsed to the ground. His vision was blurry, but he could tell he was bleeding. As he struggled to get up, he drew both the revolver and shotgun, firing at the Highwaymen that decided killing him would get them a bonus.

Soon, as his ammo ran low, he saw one final vehicle. This was a car, but had a different art style. The roof was off, and there was a guy standing up, yelling as the car started turning around to leave. It seemed he was in charge. As the Captain struggled to get back into the fight, gunfire from Gina and Carmina took out the driver of the car, causing it to crash into rocks.

The Captain limped to the car, reloading his shotgun as the boss struggled to get out of the car, falling to the ground.

"So, I'm guessing you're the guy the twins put in charge of this. Don't see them around? What's up with them? To scared to get within 100 feet without hostages, and to pussy to even come for their own party." The Captain said, blood dripping from the cut on his face.

He kissed the shotgun barrel and pointed it at the boss's head.

"And forevermore, Adieu." He said, recalling a poem he had heard years ago from his mother as he pulled the trigger, blowing his head to bits.

As the Captain took a step back, he saw out of the corner of his eye a Highwayman coming from behind. He spun around and shot him in the chest with the second barrel, and was then tackled from the side by another one. He managed to kick him in the knee before punching him in the face. He had lost his knife during the fight, but grabbed the assault rifle off the ground, stabbing him in the throat with the barrel and pulling the trigger, emptying the clip into his throat. He kicked him back and dropped the rifle, picking up his shotgun and struggling to head back to the front gate.

They had been fighting for over three hours by this point. And the Captain could feel every passing minute, as his muscles ached and his blood dripped out of the cuts and wounds decorating his body. For as much as this could feel the same to previous experiences, this was different. It had been a long time since he had fought such a prolonged battle in such an exposed area, against so many opponents. He had long since lost count of how many he had killed himself, let alone whom the others got.

As he arrived at the gate ready for more, he realized the Highwaymen were retreating. He stumbled forward.

"You kidding me? Get back here! I ain't finished killing you! Where the fuck are those cowards!? Show yourselves and die!" The Captain screamed before stumbling, dropping to one knee, having to his shotgun as a crutch.

"Is he ok?" Carmina asked, seeing her friend like that.

"I've know the Captain for a few years now. But this is the first time I've ever seen him reach his limit like that." Rush said. "Come on; help him inside, we need to handle the wounded."

Carmina jumped down from the wall, helping the Captain inside. Once he was in, she helped him lean against the wall. She was about to ask how he was feeling, when they heard a voice.

"Anybody!" Kim shouted. Carmina turned and ran to her mother's aid, the Captain following dispute the protests of his aching body.

They found Kim performing CPR on a teenager who was wounded. Despite their best planning, the community took some abuse. Nowhere near as bad as it could have been, but still bad.

"Mom, mom. Hey, hey. Look at me. Are you ok? Are you hurt?" Carmina asked, getting her mother's attention. Kim had a faraway look on her face, one not uncommon after a battle such as this. When you're reacting, you stop, and your mind tries to catch up to what's been happening. One of the medics came over and took over the CPR while another tried to stop the teenager's bleeding.

Kim took her daughter's hands in her own and took a breath.

"No, I'm fine. You ok?" Kim asked her daughter, who nodded.

"Alright, just do what you can." Rush told Nick and someone else as he made his way over to the group.

"How bad is it?" Kim asked, with the tone of someone who didn't want the answer.

"We held them off but we're still in trouble. We lost some people and the wounded are in bad shape. Twins come back, we can't stop them." Rush said, straight to the point as always.

"We need help." The Captain said, wiping some blood off his face.

"There's nobody left." Kim argued.

"What about that group in the North? New Eden?" Rush asked. Kim looked stunned while Carmina had a look the Captain couldn't quite place.

"Is...Is that a joke?" Kim questioned as she stood up.

"I've seen them in action. They hit the camp I was being held in one night… just two of them. Took more bullets then is humanly possible and vanished into the forest. The Highwaymen call them ghosts, but I know what I saw. Those people were doped to the fucking gills. We need what they have." Rush said.

"He's right. I fought one of their guys, the Judge. He was tough. We get help like that we can do some damage." Captain said, crouching and rubbing his face, recalling he masked man he fought.

"You realize you're talking about going to Joseph Seed. A man who terrorized and brutalized our family for years." Kim argued. The Captain looked up.

Joseph Seed: that was the name of the man who appeared to him in visions on that island.

"But that was before… He's left us in peace, Mom. Whatever happened in the past is the past." Carmina argued.

"Stay out of this." Kim told her daughter.

"We need help." Carmina argued against her mother. "If we don't get it, we're all dead."

Kim was silent before replying.

"A deal with New Eden, is a deal with the Devil."

"It's the only one on the table. Whatever they have….whatever their secrets, we need it." Rush said.

Kim was silent before shaking her head and heading off.

"I'll go. He'll give me what we need." The Captain said, standing up and turning, before Carmina stopped him.

"Are you kidding? Cap, the shape you're in you'd barely make it far from the gate. We need to patch you up first, give you some rest." Carmina told him.

The Captain reluctently nodded.

"Our backs are against the wall. In the morning, head on out, find out what this Joseph has. I'll patch things up here." Rush said before heading off to get started on repairs.

Carmina helped the Captain to his spot, where he sat down.

"I..am getting to old for this shit." Jack said, placing his shotgun on the ground.

"What makes you so sure you can convince Joseph? He's been pretty secluded for some time now." Carmina asked.

"Because he wants me to find him." The Captain said. Before Carmina could ask anything further, he passed out, exhausted from the battle.

Once the immediate casualties were tended to, someone came by to clean up the Captain's wounds and wrap them.

And as the Captain slept, he thought about the island, the book, and what Joseph Seed has said.

XXXchapterendXXX

Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know a few people were…curious about my choice to pair Gina and the Captain, but I thought it was something no one else had really touched.

Plus it lets me say this: Since Gina is so much older than the Captain, and she lives in hope county, you could say she's a cougar…..I will see myself out.

But first: Next time. The Captain ventures north to New Eden. However, Finding Joseph will not be easy.

Next time: North Bound


	7. North Bound

Northbound:

In the morning, The Captain and Carmina left Prosperity and headed north. They got the Captains car from its hidden location and began driving.

"So, who is Joseph Seed?" The Captain asked his friend.

"Before he was the leader of New Eden, I guess he was leader of a cult called the Peggies or something. Mom said he did a lot of really bad things. My dad has a really big scar on his chest that his brother John caused. Thought God told him the world was ending." Carmina explained.

"So why did you support the idea last night of going to see him?" The Captain questioned.

"When I was a kid, before the Highwaymen, we were living at our old house. Times were tough. We couldn't find food. One day, he came over and gave me a bag of fruit. My parents were furious. But...I think he might have been trying to make up for what he did, if only a little." Carmina told him, remembering the incident from her childhood.

"Ironically, the day the Deputy finally beat and arrested Joseph was the day the bombs fell." Carmina said after a moment.

"I've heard that name before from the old folks. Who the hell is that?" Jack asked.

"My folks, and people who knew him, talk about the Deputy like he was a superhero. Apparently, when he and some others tried to arrest Joseph, things went from bad to worse, but the deputy kept fighting until he brought Joseph down. My parents thought so highly of him they named him my godfather." Carmina explained.

"So whatever happened to him?" Jack questioned.

"No one knows. The bombs fell right after Joseph was arrested, and when that happened everyone was so busy trying to find shelter the pair vanished. Years later, Joseph suddenly appeared and started his New Eden. No one ever saw the deputy again. None of the adults want to admit it, but there aren't a lot of positive outcomes." Carmina said.

The Captain nodded in agreement.

"So what about you? Why are you so sure you can do this? I mean last night you said 'Joseph wants you to find him'. What did that mean?" Carmina asked.

"I can't explain it. A few weeks ago, I was on a boat, heading to that Dredge outpost. But my boat was totaled and I had a swim to shore. When I did, something happened. I heard a voice. He said his name was Joseph Seed, the Father. He told me a story about the days leading up to the End. As he saw it, I guess. Eventually he led me to a bunker with a book in it. He said 'God told me you would be worthy of this'. And the final page says he went north to await someone called the Sheppard." Jack explained.

"And you think that's you?" Carmina asked with wide eyes.

"Maybe? I'm not sure. But with how bad things are, we can't afford not to try. Both us and the Highwaymen lost last night. They lost way more people but we didn't have a lot of people to start with. We need help." The Captain said.

Carmina nodded as they drove. Luckily, the Captains driving skills had improved since their first drive together, if marginally. He still viewed roads as 'optional'.

With Carmina as his guide, they made the drive towards the New Eden compound. Then a mile away, the Captain pulled over.

"Here's where we split up." He told her.

"What? Are you sure?" She asked.

"Yeah. If they're as cautious as people say, both of us might be tempting things. Plus Rush needs all hands on deck fixing things back at prosperity, and you're a pretty valuable hand." He explained, getting out of the car, only brining his bow and his shotgun.

Carmina was silent before sliding over to the drives side.

"Good luck Cap. I hope you know what you're doing." She said before driving back.

"So do i." The Captain admitted to himself before starting the rest of the trek on foot.

XXXpagebreakXXX

After walking for several minutes, he founds a large wooden gate past a broken bridge. He eyed the gate before pounding on the door. After a few moments, a small hatch opened, and the Captain found himself staring at the mask of The Judge.

"Hey chuckles, long time no see." The Captain said in 'greeting'. The judge started to close the hatch when the Captain held up a hand. "Hold on now, I think you might want to see this."

The Captain took out the Book from the Bunker out of his satchel and held it up. The Judge started at it, and then closed the hatch again. After a moment, part of the gate opened. The Judge turned to face him, then turned to gesture him in. Once he was inside the Judge closed the gate again.

The judge grunted and gestured for the Captain to follow. As they walked, people started noticing the Captain.

"An outsider? Here?"

"A non-believer in our walls?"

"We should prepare the sacrament, just in case."

"He was the book; next he'll light the flame, then the sacrament."

"He will never be worthy of the sacrament."

These were some of the comments the Captain would hear, and he knew there were likely plenty he couldn't.

"It is you." A female voice said. The Captain turned and saw the woman he had saved a few weeks ago from highwaymen, walking out of a cabin towards him. "I knew that if there was an outsider to come into our walls, it had to have been you. I did not give my name before. It is Molly. It is good to see you."

"Nice to know I make an impression." The Captain said with a smile. The Judge grunted and the Captain continued to follow, as the woman explained to the others that the Captain had rescued her from 'the locust'.

Eventually the Judge led him to a large wooden building at the highest point in the compound. Likely the main building. He pointed to the door. The Captain nodded and walked inside.

Inside was very simple, much like everywhere else. The most impressive thing was a large portrait over an alter. The Captain recognized the man in the portrait as the man from the visions on the island. Hearing something slight behind him, he turned and noticed someone new behind him. Someone not Joseph.

"You aren't what I was expecting. Maybe the same could be said for me." This new stranger was wearing the same simple garb as everyone else, with a fox on his right shoulder. "If you came here looking for the old man, well…..do you have the book?"

The Captain nodded and held it up. The strangers eyes lit and his face dropped.

"Do you know what that is? The Word of Joseph. His teaching, his guidance, his wisdom…and his madness." The Stranger spoke, walking closer, taking the book carefully, and opening it as he walked to the altar. "I have searched everywhere for this book. Joseph said the one who found it would be 'ordained by god to be the true ruler of Eden…' And you are the one who returns it to us."

The Stranger closed the book angrily and walked behind the altar to stand in front of the portrait.

"It should have been me. I'm the one they turned to when he disappeared into the North. I'm the one who has held this family together. I'm the one they chose to lead. I have protected them from the locust and the snakes. I am the one who kept us alive and safe between this walls…Not the old man. ME!"

He pushed the wooden podium over and continued to angrily march up and down.

"My father wanted to build a paradise, but when it got to hard he ran away." Having vented his frustrations, the man calmed down. "You came looking for his help, but Joseph is dead. No one wants to acknowledge this, but it's the truth. Our family still keeps believing in him, and they'll never stop believing in him… until they understand he was not a messiah, he was just a man."

"Help me show them…bring back proof of his death, and I'll help your people. But New Eden will not allow you to travel North until you have proved yourself worthy by lighting the Flame of Eden." The stranger picked up a knife and made a cut on his hand, before gathering the blood on a finger and making a mark on the Captain's forehead. "My people know this mark. They will lead you to the flame."

And with that, he gestured to the door.

The Captain had a funny feeling about this guy, but he couldn't afford to act without good reason now. He walked out and walked around until a woman stopped him, recognizing the Mark. During the conversation, the Captain learned the Stranger's name was Ethan. She tells him to head to the mountain that contained 'the fallen statue of Joseph', and meet up with the Chosen who would help him.

XXXpagebreakXXX

The Captain arrived at the statue just before dawn, and found a trio of Chosen. The one doing the talking was a darker skinned guy. The Captain noted they all had bows and arrows as well. The man, who didn't give his name, advised to use cunning and stealth against the Highwaymen's numbers and firepower, seeming impressed the Captain had a bow of his own.

The four made their way up the mountain path, silently killing any Highwaymen they came across, and hiding the bodies. As the sun lifted into the sky, the four arrived at the base of the statue. There were too many Highwaymen to handle quietly, but a well-timed attack meant they were taken out before they could react.

"I am impressed with your skill outsider. We have brought you as far as we can. You must descend below and light the flame. They have flooded the chamber and sealed the pipes. Those pipes contain the bliss that feeds the sacred flame. Drain the water, and then destroy the pipes to release the Bliss. Ignite the bliss so that the righteous fire may rise again. And be careful that it does not consume you. Go sinner, with our blessings and hope."

The Captain went into the chamber below. He went underwater, eventually found a valve and opened it, then cleared the debris over the drain, getting rid of the water. Once that was done, he noticed three sections of pipes. Following them to their source, he broke them, and released a gas he had never come across. Concentrated, the gas was difficult to breathe in, so he pulled up his mask to cover his mouth and made his way up the slope above the gas. After a few moments, he took out a Molotov cocktail, light it and tossed it. As the bottle sailed through the air, the captain did a mental calculation, then turned and ran up the incline, barely making it out before Hell figuratively opened up below as an inferno raged on.

The Captain stumbled back, looking up as the fire rose. The Chosen with him stared in stunned amazement, one even getting on his knees and bowing to the flame.

"Sinner…or perhaps something else. The Father will know what to call you." The Chosen who had been doing the talking said after recovering from his shock. "Ethan himself was not able to accomplish this. Clearly, you are the one who make Joseph's prophecy come true. Go to Ethan and receive further instructions. And, know that you have given us a new hope."

"You know, for the time being you can call me Captain, or Jack. I answer to both." The Captain said with a grin before making his way back to New Eden.

XXXpagebreakxxx

Prosperity:

"Hey look at that." One of the kids said, noticing the massive fire all the way from Prosperity.

"What does that mean?" Bean asked nervously.

"I think it means the Captain is making progress with our new reinforcements. Come on, let's get back to work. We want there to be a place still here when he comes back after all." Rush said, encouraging everyone.

XXXpagebreakXXX

The Captain arrived at New Eden, where Ethan was talking to the people. And it was then that The Captain realized what the feeling he had about Ethan was. He was clearly a hyena trying to lead a pride of lions.

"A non believer is a sinner." Ethan said. "A non believer does not know our ways. A non believer-"

"Has relit our most sacred flame." Interrupted Molly, who seemed the most vocal supporter of the Captain. With her leading the defense, the people spoke in favor of the captain. Noting that 'the Father absolves Sin' and he "earned the right to go North."

Seeing he wouldn't win this argument, Ethan relented after a moment. The Captain was given a drink, which he was told would prepare his body to endure the Bliss in the North

"Well, as in Rome. Physician heal thyself." The Captain said before drinking. Then things went woozy and he fell over.

He awoke some time later with Ethan and the Judge in a boating shed.

"You could have told me to sit down first." The Captain said sarcastically as he got up. Ethan ignored him.

"Listen well; Joseph has a sanctuary far to the North. Ritual demands you light signal fires along the way. I doubt the old man will even be alive to see them, but if you don't light the fires, it will be the death of you. Because despite the Sacrament, the North can still kill you. This boat and fire are your best means of safe, swift passage. Stray from them only when it's absolutely necessary. Use your bow to light the signals with fire arrows. Bring me proof of my father's death, and I will make sure you are remembered as a friend to the prophet. Go now, with my blessing." Ethan said.

The Captain didn't count on Ethan to be trusted, not after he tried to turn the people against him. Luckily, their faith in the Father outweighed their loyalty to Ethan. The Captain climbed into the boat and started the engine, heading north. He noted he was leaving from a mostly sunken community, one he had briefly seen before. As he turned to go north, he passed New Eden, where many of the community had gathered to wave him off.

The Captain waved back, then looked ahead. Ethan may believe Joseph dead, but if that was the case, then getting help would likely be very difficult.

XXXchapterendXXX

Well, here we go, onto the North. The Captain must endure the Bliss, and the elements in the hopes of finding the Father. Even then, to secure his aid, the Captain must face his past one final time.

Next Time: The Apple of Eden.


	8. Apple of Eden

The Apple of Eden:

If this works out as I hope, then this story will come out on Christmas. And this is where I feel the story will come into its own and become a very different take on the Far Cry New Dawn storyline. I hope you like it and continue to stay with it.

XXXchapterstartXXX

The Captain continued North in the boat, lighting the signal fires as he did. Whatever this 'Bliss' was, it was damn near toxic this far North.

This made it so much fun when the Captain had to leave the boat to open a gate or something to continue his trek. The captain had just finished dealing with a pack of wolves, one running away when he heard a voice.

"So, what's the plan?" The Captain spun around and saw…Rush?

"How the hell did you get here?" The Captain asked, only for Rush to ignore him. Then, a second figure walked over. The pair were looking in the distance. The Captain realized with a shock that the second figure was himself.

"That building over there. If we plant enough explosives, we can bring down a section of it right onto Balagan's base." Der Geist said.

The Captain remembers that. It was from when he and Rush planned their attack on the Balagan base, 5 years ago back when they first met in Chicago. How long had it been since he thought about that?

"That's pretty extreme." Rush said.

"Like you said we need something big to start with. You and I are the only real fighters; we have to do what we can to tip things on our side." Der Geist said.

Suddenly the wolf that ran away reappeared, leaping at the captain. He was knocked down, but managed to get his knife and stab it in the neck, killing it. Pushing the wolf off him, he got up and looked around, but nothing was amiss. He must have been in the Bliss to long and hallucinated.

Sometime later, he saw another hallucination, and pulled over. It was like watching a movie of your own life.

Rush had one of the people on the train make outfits resembling the Railerz, allowing the pair to sneak in. Once they located Balagan, Rush sent a signal to a nearby scouting team.

Jack quickly changed out of his Railerz disguise and into his Der Geist outfit while hiding in a storage room. Then he head a boom, follows seconds later by a massive crash, as though the sky had fallen. Then it became absolute anarchy from the sounds of it. Jack pulled on the mask to complete his outfit and left the room. He quickly snuck up to the control room, with few interruptions, since everyone was had run outside to see the damage caused by the fallen building. It hadn't caused as much damage as expected, but the distraction was golden.

Der Geist climbed onto the roof of the control room, and drew back his bow, locating Balagan. He took aim, and released. The arrow sailed through the air before impaling Balagan in the back of the head, and seconds later exploded, knocking many of the people around him off their feet. Der Geist tossed out some grenades and turned, running away in the confusion. He met up with Rush and jumped into their escape vehicle, taking off. They were forced to ditch the jeep when the tire was shot out, but were still able to make it into the tunnels, where they later managed to kill the guy who attempted to seize control of the Railerz. When they killed him, the gang disbanded. After that, Jack left home and joined Rush's convoy.

XXXpagebreakXXX

After another hour or so, the Captain saw another hallucination. It was about two years after he joined Rush's crew.

"Damnit you can't just go off on your own like that. The Chief of Security told you there were too many." Rush said, rubbing his face.

"No, he said there were too many for a frontal assault. I went in from the side." He pointed out.

Rush slammed his hands onto the table.

"You know that's not the god damn point. You're good at being a point man, but you have an insane amount to learn about working in a group. No one wants to work with you and some don't trust you." Rush told him.

"I get results." Der Geist argued.

"But at what cost? It doesn't matter if you accomplish your goals if no one is willing to help you move to the next step. You need to learn to think things through." Rush told him.

"All I need is a target." He argued before storming out of the train against Rush's orders.

The Captain watched as the hallucination vanished. He had been wrong of course. His next attack on the Orleans's Boys, a group of scum who had control of the former New Orleans', had one horribly wrong. Despite the fact he did kill their leader (in a bit of scheming that involved remote explosives on a trolley, tampering with the food, and a special bomb located in the boss's private bathroom) he had been unable to make his escape and was almost killed. It was only due to the last moment intervention of Rush and the Chief of Security he didn't drown after the building he was in collapses into a swamp.

As he continued on, he saw the next vision. It was a few days after his argument with Rush. He was dressed normally, and was packing his bag.

"What's this I hear about you leaving?" Rush asked as he walked in.

"It's time I go home. I don't belong here. You said as much yourself and I proved it with my bonehead stunt." Jack told him.

"I never said I wanted you to go, or that you didn't belong here. But you do have a point about one thing. Der Geist doesn't fit in. What do you think about 'Captain of Security'?" Rush asked.

It took the sentence a few moments to register, and Jack slowly looked at Rush.

"The Chief and I have been doing some talking, and he's not a spring chicken. He is good at what he does, but he feels he could be of more use elsewhere. But security is still an important job." Rush told him.

"Wh…I…what?" Jack was stunned.

"Yeah, you're an annoying kid sometimes, but you have heart, and you don't give up. You make mistakes but that's part of growing up. So, what do you say?" Rush asked.

"This isn't a trick or anything?" Jack asked.

"No trick. You say yes, that hood goes away and you have new responsibilities. We'll expect a lot out of you, but I think you can handle it. Say no, and I guess we can't stop you from going on home." Rush told him, putting the Captain's bars on the table.

Jack was still, then picked up the bars and put them on his collar.

"I guess I can stick around for a while." The Captain said after a moment. Rush smiled and shook his hand.

Becoming the Captain had been the best thing that ever happened to him. The Chief of Security was Francis Potter, a former military man like Rush but much older. Going under Potter's wing, he learned the ins and outs of the job he inherited and learned the skills he would need to be Captain. Many were wary of their new boss, but he slowly won them over. He never entirely lost his reckless streak, but he stopped taking so many insane risks. One thing that never changed, he refused to ask others to do what he himself would never do.

And to think, if he had left to go back to Chicago, he wouldn't have ever arrived in Hope County.

Then again, the Captain wasn't sure sometimes if that was a good thing or a bad one. If he had to weigh his options…..yes, it was a good thing. He never would have believed it when he first arrived, especially how things started, but he felt like he had found the place he had been looking for all this time. A place he was needed, that felt like home. Yes, he considered many of the people he met idiots, but they were decent. They had lives and dreams, talents they could use. They were like a family, and would help each other.

The Highwaymen…they were savages. They believed a bullet gave them the power they needed, and the Twins would kill any to get their way. If he didn't stop them, who could?

XXXpagebreakXXX

The Bliss made keeping track of time difficult, since he wouldn't see the sun. Eventually, exhaustion began to set in and the Captain passed out in the boat.

_Don't give up. Because if you do, you die._

The Captain woke with a startle, spinning around to find the source of the voice. No one….was it Joseph? He had communicated in the Bliss before…but it didn't sound like him. But what did the voice sound like? The harder the Captain tried to recall the voice, the more it faded.

It was then the Captain realized his lamp had broken. It looks like while he was out of it from exhaustion, he passed under a tree or something and a branch hit the lamp. He could already feel the Bliss closing in on him.

He turned the engine on as hard as he could and pulled his mask up, trying to use it to filter the bliss out, if only a little. He could feel the air getting thinner….thinner….He couldn't keep this up. So close,….each breath was followed by a hacking cough. As his vision grew blurry, he saw a beacon.

He drew a fire arrow, said a silent prayer, and drew the bow back. As he took aim, he found the small breath still in his lungs wasn't enough, and the arrow slipped from his fingers. He fell forward onto the boat, waiting for the end.

Then, things cleared. The Bliss stopped suffocating him, and he would think. He got up, and saw he had somehow been able to make the shot, lighting the beacon, and the fire cleared away the bliss, saving him. It was bright out, the sun hung in the sky. It had been night when he left New Eden. He must have traveled for several hours.

Then the boat rocked. Looking in front of him, he realized he had hit a dock, and ahead of him was some sort of shelter. This must be it.

The Sanctuary of Joseph Seed.

He stepped out of the boat and began walking up the path. As he walked, he could see a series of small gardens. After taking a moment to examine the fruit and vegetables that were growing, he continued on his way. He eventually crossed a bridge and arrived in front of the shelter, and stepped past the cloth door.

In the middle of the room was the man from his visions. Joseph Seed sat hunched over on a log in deep thought. The Captain was about to say something, when the older man spoke.

"I did everything that I was asked. I sacrificed. Myself, my family. I let us into the new World. I thought it would be glorious. I was wrong." Joseph was silent for a moment before he slowly stood up and turned to face the Captain, his face still shrouded in shadows caused by the shelters roof. "I have waited so long for someone to come. I'd begun to despair."

Joseph stepped forward and reached out, placing his hands on the Captain's shoulders, his eyes brightened in recognition.

"I have seen your face before. God showed it to me in a dream. I knew you would be the one to come and make things right. Set them exactly the way they're supposed to be. I knew that you would bring salvation."

Joseph let go of the Captain's shoulders and took a step back.

"You've come seeking help. But I can't give any to you, only God can. But he has a plan for you." Joseph stepped back and pointed to a tree that the opening in the shelter gave a clear view of. This tree seemed….different…vibrant purple leaves hung from its branches. Joseph opened the flap to the other side of the shelter.

"Come, walk with me."

The Captain nodded and followed. Joseph began walking, leading the captain up a path to the tree, and explaining what was to come.

"After God's cleansing fire, I saw the journey he had laid before us… and I knew what was required when we required when we set foot on our New Eden. When humanity emerged, I gathered my flock and set them on a new path: a rejection of everything connected to the old world- the creation of a new society, living off the land, taking only that what was needed."

As Joseph explained the principles he set for the New Eden, it occurred to the Captain that they indeed lived a very simple life. In his brief visits, he noticed nothing resembling old world tech. Every building was one built by wood and erected by hand, farming using old by the land methods. Completely self sustained. It required much work to be sure, yet it was effective. It was while they walked he could get the clearest view of Joseph. He was an older man, too thin to be healthy. He had some tattoos on him, a cross he had seen before, and scars. He realized the scars were done to spell words.

"When the harshest years of the dark winter fell, I despaired. and in that despair, I found our salvation… this tree. It's fruit a gift from God that gave my family the strength to ensure through the famine and pestilence. New Eden thrived. We created a paradise on Earth. But it did not last… This plague of locusts saw to that. These… highwaymen embody everything God has instructed us to Forsaken. Their souls are rotten. Diseased…But you… you are different. I believe your soul is worthy."

As Joseph mentioned a gift from god that granted strength, Jack wondered if that could be what Rush had been talking about. But…a fruit?

They arrived at the base of the tree, and Joseph waved the Captain over. He walked under its branches before placing a hand on a thick limb, and leaning his ear against it, as though listening to something only he could hear.

"This is the help you've been seeking. God's gift to us. That which sustained my family through the darkest time." Joseph said, reaching for the closest fruit. Then he stopped, and his eyes lay upon a different piece of fruit. He reached up and took it off the tree, holding it in his hands with the utmost of care as he walked to the captain. The fruit bore resemblance to an apple….but something about it was unlike any apple the Captain had seen.

"Let me offer you this- our miracle. The first time I partook of this gift, I was confronted by a ravenous beast. It was my soul. And in that moment… I knew that in order to be worthy of God's gift I had to slay that beast. I had to cleanse my soul. Because if I did not I knew that beast would consume me. This is God's test. Cleanse your soul." Joseph told him, offering the apple, which Jack accepted.

"Does it taste good?" The Captain questioned, rolling the fruit in his hand, getting a feel for its skin.

"No, the taste is sour." Joseph told him.

"Good. If it does all this, it shouldn't be easy." The Captain said.

It seemed mad. A fruit given by God, which bestowed such power, should you 'cleanse your soul'? But the conviction in Joseph's words made him believe, and his grip on the fruit tightened.

He brought it to his lips, and took a bite.

His vision became red and clouded.

"Go. Kill the Beast of your soul!" Joseph told him. The Captain looked at his arm… was he truly going mad, or was steam coming from his flesh. He stepped back, and fell to the ground for the most recent time in the last few days.

As he laid in the blackness, he heard Joseph's voice once more.

"If you succeed- if your soul is pure, you are the shepherd sent by God… and I can return from my exile. Our miracle allowed us to survive, but its gifts are not unconditional. It nourishes what is in a person's soul. But if that soul corrupt…the miracle extracts a terrible price."

The Captain's vision returned and he got to his feet. He didn't recognize his surroundings, but a quick glance told him wherever he was, it was surrounded by thick walls of rock. No way to escape if things went bad. He also noticed four fires around the area, much like the beacons he lit on his way to the sanctuary.

He then noticed several bodies…corpses unlike any other he had ever seen. The skin was tan and orange, the flesh pulled over the skeleton like it was too tight. The length of the bodies must be at least 9 feet, it not more. with much longer fingers and toes then a human. He hoped he wouldn't have to battle these.

As he walked, he heard something soft behind him and moved. Then, an arrow buried itself in the soft ground where he had just stood. Spinning, he saw his attacker and was stunned.

The figure wore a black biker outfit, with rags sewn all over it and a black sack like mask.

Der Geist.

"That's impossible. You can't be here. Because I'm here." The Captain said, his eyes not believing what they were seeing.

"You just ate an apple, given to you by an old man who hears the voice of God because it'd give you amazing abilities, and told to confront your sin. However, that fact the Sin is me, that's what breaks things for you? Der Geist pointed out.

The pair were 10 feet from each other, sizing each other up.

"You've started carrying the shotgun." Der Geist pointed out.

"I have to, to protect my home." The Captain replied.

"Your home? Don't be absurd. You think they're all idiots. You only really like maybe 5 of them." Der Geist pointed out.

"I don't have to like them; I just have to save them." The Captain replied as they both drew arrows and fired.

The arrows collided in mid-air, and hadn't even hit the ground before the next pair were launched and met the same fate. The Captain threw a knife at his past self, who dodged and fired another arrow, which the Captain rolled out of the way out of, drawing another arrow as he rolled to his feet, but didn't see his target. He scanned the area, and only barely managed to avoid an arrow from behind.

When did he get back there? The Captain wondered before being kicked to the ground. As Der Geist attempted another kick, The Captain caught it and did a leg trip takedown, then rolled over and kicked his opponent in the face. They both jumped to their feet, exchanging hand-to-hand blows for several moments before things went dark again and Der Geist vanished.

"You cannot fight your sin in Darkness." The voice of Joseph Seed warned him. The Captain quickly realized what he meant and fired arrows at the beacons, lighting them. When all four were lit the darkness faded, and Der Geist reappeared punching the Captain in the face. The Captain was on the defensive as he tried to regroup. But things got more difficult when Der Geist managed to break his bow, sending him back.

As the Captain tried to roll away to regroup, an arrow sank into his knee, bringing him to a halt as pain coursed through him. Then an arrow hit his shoulder, knocking him to the ground.

"Looks like you can't escape your past after all." Der Geist said, drawing back what was likely to be the final arrow.

The Captain struggled to get to his feet.

"No…not yet. I'm not done here. I came to far to die this bullshit way." He said through gritted teeth.

"Unleash the power coursing through you." Joseph's voice came.

Der Geist let go, the arrow sailed through the air…and the Captain caught it. Der Geist was taken by surprise as the Captain pulled the arrows from his flesh and started towards his past.

"Don't know when to quit do you?" Der Geist taunted, firing arrow after arrow. Each one was caught by the Captain's bare hands. Seeing this, Der Geist tried to punch his opponent. The blow was blocked and the Captain landed a counter punch that sent him stumbling back, then grabbed him and threw him into a rock wall, following it up with a snap kick across the midsection, a head butt, and then grabbed him from behind, tossing him in a german suplex move, dropping Der Geist almost on his head.

The Captain's past pushed himself so that he was lying on his back.

"Guess you did move on from me after all." Der Geist said with a chuckle.

"Something like that." The Captain said, picking up Der Geist's bow from the ground. "Now, I have a home to protect. And your gonna help me."

Der Geist grinned and faded into dust as things went dark again

"That is why I am here." Joseph's voice filled the Captain's ears again. "There are those who must not be allowed to partake of this miracle… Even if I love them. Even if they are of my family. Sin is a beast we cannot feed."

The Captain's eyes opened and he looked up. Joseph was standing over him, pointing at him.

"You will be the shepherd of my people." He said, taking the Captain's hand and helping the younger man off the ground. "Come with me to New Eden."

The pair headed down onto the boat, replaced the lamp and drove off.

Despite everything that had happened to the Captain since leaving New Eden for the North, he as coherent and awake. As the boat took them South, The Captain looked at Joseph.

"What you said before…you were talking about Ethan weren't you? When you said some can't have the fruit." The Captain questioned.

"And what do you think of my son?" Joseph asked, looking at him.

"He's a snake in the grass. I don't trust him. He'd say whatever he had to in order to get what he wanted." The Captain said, preferring to be honest in his assessment.

"Though he is my son…you are correct. He yearns for the power but has not earned it. His soul would not handle it as you have." Joseph admitted.

They continued on, arriving at the dock and getting out. As they walked to the New Eden gate, Joseph's eyes caught something of interest.

"That shotgun, may I see it?" He asked. The Captain hesitated, before taking it out and showing it to the New Eden Leader, who looks it over.

"Where did you get this?" Joseph asked.

"From my mother, who got it from my father. She said that should I use it to protect my home it would never let me down." Jack explained.

"I see….yes, this gun is powerful, and it will consume evil should you use it for As God's sword… A Sin-Eater." Joseph said, handing it back to the Captain.

Jack spun the gun in his hands and grinned.

"The Sin-Eater. I like it." He said as they continued on.

Soon they arrived in New Eden. Ethan, the snake, was giving a speech to try to shore up support. He was in for a surprise, the Captain thought to himself, as he and Joseph stood in the back.

"We cannot rely on Joseph to save us. He is not coming back. We must put him out of our minds and…and….Father?" Ethan said finally noticing them.

"Ethan." Was Joseph's only reply. Everyone began turning and realizing their true leader had returned. Joseph walked through the crowd, stopping only to place a hand on the shoulder of the Judge, who nodded.

"Where have you been? Our land is under siege. Our people threatened. You disappeared. You left us when we needed you most. Why?" Ethan questioned.

Joseph placed his hands on Ethan's face.

"To hear God's plan, my son." Joseph said simply before turning to address the people gathered. "My children. I know that you have suffered. And I know that you are afraid. I have been gone from you for a very long time. But you have not been abandoned. God spoke to me. And he has shown me a path out of this darkness. We will no longer hide behind these walls… we will no longer hope that this plague of locusts leaves us in peace. The time to fight is now. And God has sent us his sword. Here!" Joseph declared, pointing at the Captain. Joseph walked down and placed a hand on the Captain's shoulder.

"God has tested their soul and it is just and it is pure. And I stand here before you to bear witness that this outsider is our shepherd." Joseph said.

"Father…" Ethan said, as though hoping to silence the following words.

"And together we will battle against the hordes outside our gates… and together we will march towards the future that God has promised us."

"No." Ethan said, getting the people's attention. "You abandoned me. You abandoned us. Without a word, without instructions. Leaving me to lead as best I could. And now. Now. You return as if descended from the clouds and presume to lead. I am the leader here! New Eden follows ME!" Ethan yelled, going down the steps in a hurry to stand in front of the people. However, their reaction was not what he hoped, and it was clear by the look on his face he could not believe they were still loyal to the Father.

"Son," Joseph said, placing his hand on his son's shoulder. "I know that you have carried a heavy burden in my absence. I understand that. This is God's will. And sometimes we must sacrifice that which we want, in order to honor God's command."

"What have you ever sacrificed?" Ethan asked bitterly.

"Someday you will see the light, I promise." Joseph said. Ethan stormed away. Joseph watched for a moment before turning back to the people. "Come, let us all go together. We have much work to do."

After a bit of time talking and coming up with ideas, Joseph informs the Captain that the Chosen will attempt to battle the highwaymen during the day, as well as their battles in the night, but that they can't keep up that battle for long. Thus, Prosperity should make its move soon. He also says the Judge will now accompany The Captain, with their combined talents for violence being a skilled combination against the Locust.

"Well, I guess I should introduce you to the others. Let's go." The Captain told The Judge, who nodded. They walked to the gate.

"Wait a moment Outsid…I mean, Shepherd." A woman spoke. The Captain turned and saw a few of the women, Molly included, walking over. "We would like to welcome you, with a Tunic, much like that worn by the Chosen."

The Captain took the hooded shirt and tried it on. It felt surprisingly comfortable, and cool in the sun.

"Thank you." The Captain said, with a polite bow. With that, the pair walked out of New Eden.

XXXpagebreakXXX

"How many are coming?" Rush asked Bean.

"The scout says 3 cars, maybe 15 or so." The nervous Bean reported. Rush cursed. It seemed some Highwaymen decided to try to attack while they were still recovering. Nowhere near as large a group as the other day, but still more then they could afford to handle.

"Everyone get ready. We have to hold out. The Captain isn't going through all that shit in the North for us to not be here when he gets back." Rush said. The few who were able to fight got on the wall and stood ready.

"They'll be here any second." Bean said, relaying the info from his scout.

"Here they come!" Rush said…..only they didn't. A few seconds turned into a minute…then, a lone tire rolled into view before falling over.

"What in the hell?" Nick asked, confused.

"You don't have to tell us." A voice came from behind. Everyone spun to see the Captain and a stranger in brown garb with a wooden mask standing in the middle of Prosperity's yard. "We are that damn good."

"Jack!" Carmina said, climbing down off the gate. She and her friend shared a high five.

"How in the world did you…?" Rush asked.

"New Eden is on our side. No more grudges. Leave all that with the old world. Because this is our home, and we are going to work together and send the Highwaymen back to the hole they crawled out of." The Captain declared.

"Oh, by the way, this is my new friend, The Judge. Be careful though, once he started talking you can't shut him up." The Captain said. The Judge just turned his head to look at the Captain. Despite the fact no one could see his face, everyone had the feeling he was annoyed. The Judge turned and walked over to the garden, looking at the growing herbs and vegetables.

"You sure he can be trusted?" Kim asked, keeping an eye on the new arrival.

"Yeah. Joseph apparently thinks I'm some sword sent by God. He isn't going to start anything. So you can't either." The Captain said.

"What happened to you out there? I mean, those Highwaymen, and getting in here." Rush asked.

"You said find what they had. I did one better." The Captain said with a grin.

XXXchapterendXXX

Merry Christmas.

So first of all, the Bliss causing hallucinations. I wanted to continue to expand on the Captain's life. How he got his rank, the battle's he had, ect.

His battle with Der Geist: as much fun as it was punching a bear until it rag dolled, that was a little odd, while battling your own arrogant self-seemed more personal.

And yes, the Captain was joking when he said the Judge was a chatterbox.

Next time: The twins hire a special Enforcer to handle the Captain, who seeks to test his new limits.

Next time: Road to Ruin


	9. Captain Vs Manslayer

Here is the next chapter. I hope you like it. This chapter is mainly original stuff, which is why it took so long to do.

Carmina stepped outside, stretching. She had been up late last night, listening to Jack tell his story about what was happening. It seemed too strange to be real, yet she couldn't see him lying about it.

Looking around, she didn't see her friend, but she did see the newest member of their little group, the figure known only as "the judge". At present, he was sitting cross-legged near the garden, watching some kids play; or rather, his face was looking in that direction. The mask and attire kept him completely covered, so it was impossible to get a read on the guy, but it seemed he was at peace in the moment. At least that was her hope.

XXXpagebreakXXX

Last night:

"I don't trust him. Not if he was close to Joseph Seed." Kim said. The group was in the main house, discussing everything that had happened. The Judge was outside while they talked.

"I know you have history, but that was then. Remember when I said I fought one of New Edener's and he was tough. That's him." Jack told her.

"History? That fucker Joseph got a lot of people killed." Nick said angrily, rubbing his chest, where John Seed had sliced off his flesh years ago.

"It would be like if we told you to accept an alliance with Balagan." Kim pointed out.

The Captain was silent as he chose his next words well.

"I'm not saying you have to invite the guy over for a picnic, or even that you like him, but he wants his people to live in peace just like we do. Even as we speak, his Chosen are fighting Highwaymen to give us room to make a move. And if we don't take it we are guilty of wasting their lives." Jack told them.

"He's right mom. Joseph clearly isn't the same person he was back in the old world. He's left us in peace; he even gave us food when we needed it." Carmina said, siding with her friend over her parents.

Kim and Nick sighed, trying to figure out how to make the younger pair understand what they had gone through in the past.

"Why don't we invite the Judge in and talk to him directly?" Jerome suggested.

"He doesn't talk. At all. I guess. I was told the judge never speaks, and so far he's only ever grunted." Jack explained.

"Never speaks? Why not?" Nick asked.

The Captain shrugged.

Eventually the older members of Prosperity reluctantly agreed to give the Judge some space, but would keep an eye on him.

XXXpagebreakXXX

Carmina went over to the medical room to chat with Selene, passing Hurk and Sharky. While she walked, she saw her mom rocking Blade, Gina and Hurk's child, to sleep.

"Hey. Either of you see the Captain?" Carmina asked the cousins.

"Yeah, Gina wanted to do a bit of scouting and the Captain went with her as back up." Sharky said as the cousins talked about explosives.

"Ok. Well when they get back let me know, I'll be hanging out with Selene." Carmina said, heading inside.

XXXpagebreakXXX

The Captain and Gina finished dressing themselves as they exited the old boat shed not far from Prosperity.

"You're insatiable." The Captain said with a chuckle.

"Hey, if you're now as tough as you say, then you need to know how much stamina you have." Gina said with a smirk.

"Sure, that's all that is was. No other motives." The Captain said, slapping her ass, causing her to jump.

"Hey be careful. I'm pretty sore." She whined.

"You're the one who wanted to keep going and going." The Captain pointed out.

"Like you were gonna decline." Gina said with a grin. She usually didn't act like this, but with the captain, she felt like a flirty schoolgirl. Their relationship was purely physical; she wasn't planning to make it long term or anything. Much as Hurk could get on her nerves, he was still Blade's father and needed a place in his life. However, she planned to enjoy this as long as she could.

XXXpagebreakXXX

Mickey and Lou were sitting down talking as they waited. As if things weren't annoying enough with that Rabbit causing trouble, now they got word those New Eden shits were stepping up attacks. Seems both groups were now working together to try to cause problems.

"I can't believe you went and called his ass up." Lou complained as the pair sat at a table.

"I don't like him any more then you, but he may be useful." Mickey told her sister.

The door opened and a man about 45 came in. Dark skinned and built like a tank, the man sat down without addressing the pair.

"So, after all you're boasting about how you didn't need "old shits" like me, you call for help. I assume it involves the ghost who killed a thousand Highwaymen not long ago." The man said after a moment.

"He didn't kill no thousand guys. He's a fucking Rabbit we need taken care of." Mickey replied.

The man chuckled.

"Your ignorance does you no favors." He replied. Lou's eyes bugged out and set bolted up.

"The fuck you say!" Lou shouted.

Nevertheless, the man, Marcus the Manslayer had seen many things in his long life. The twins didn't intimidate him and they knew it. Moreover, as much as they hated to admit it, Marcus was more popular among the Highwaymen. Mickey and Lou might be in charge, but even they couldn't do anything to Marcus and not deal with the consequences.

"The Highwaymen believe this ghost to be a force of nature. The number may not be a thousand but a not insignificant group was sent to capture prosperity, only to be slain with no victory to show. Make no mistake; this ghost is not a rabbit. He is a predator, and pretending otherwise will be your undoing." Marcus told them.

"We don't need any of your wise old man shit. We just need you to kill this fucker. He's making problems we don't need." Mickey said.

"But of course. If even a handful of the tales are true this should be most fun." Marcus said before getting up and leaving, without waiting for them to say he could go.

Mickey and Lou shared a look before they both rolled their eyes. This could go one of two ways. Either the old man killed the Rabbit, or the rabbit killed the old man. Frankly, they hoped the pair killed each other.

XXXpagebreakXXX

The Captain, Gina, Carmina and the Judge hit a Highwaymen stronghold used to house prisoners under the cover of night. . Between the Captain and Judge, most Highwaymen were dead before they knew what was going on, leaving little for Carmina and Gina to do. Once the last of them were dead, they went about freeing the prisoners, some being Scavengers and some from New Eden.

While the Captain explained to the New Edeners the alliance between the two groups with the judge occasionally nodding to confirm what he said, the two women talked.

"Why did we even bother coming?" Gina asked sitting down.

"Cause Jack needs someone to talk to." Carmina said with a giggle. It was true. Despite how he acted, the Captain was someone who needed to be grounded, and talking to people helped. And the Judge wasn't much for conversation.

"I wonder what the Twins will do next. I mean they can't be happy the attack on Prosperity failed." Carmina said.

"Not sure. One thing about those two, they did not have the patience to handle setbacks well. It's one of the reasons why they got rid of their old man." Gina said.

"Wait, they killed their dad?" Carmina asked, shocked.

"Yeah. Vince was a monster, but had his head on for the most part. But the Twins wanted to do things their way, and decided that offing him was the easiest way to get what they wanted." Gina explained.

"Oh my god. A conversation about the twins actually worth listening to." The Captain said, walking over and crouching down. "What were things like? Then compared to now?"

"Like I said, Vince was their dad so you know he wasn't a good guy. But with him, there was a code. If you Kill it should only be because you had to or to send a message. The Twins? No reason needed, just do it. A lot of people think Vince got soft in the head and that's why they got rid of him, but that wasn't it. They killed him because that's what they do. They wanted to be in charge and couldn't as long as he held the top seat." Gina told them.

"I don't know why but I'm surprised." Carmina said with a frown on her face.

"I'm not. I expect they'd screw each other if it got them what they wanted." The Captain said bitterly.

Then they heard engine, someone was coming.

They watched as a blue and green car drove up, and a large man got out.

"Holy Shit, that's Marcus the Manslayer!" Gina said, surprised. "He's probably the most dangerous Enforcer in the Highwaymen."

The man walked over, eyeing the four before settling on Captain.

"I assume you must be the one I've heard so much about." The man, Marcus, said.

"Have the twins been gossiping about me again?" The Captain said, eyeing the new arrival. The guy had a presence about him to be sure, a confident restrained aura.

"Something of the sort." Marcus said with a small smile. "As it happens they want me to handle you."

"Neat. I'm The Captain, name of Jack." He said, introducing himself.

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Marcus, many call me the Manslayer." Marcus said.

"What you thinking?" Jack asked.

"How about one on one, no weapons." Marcus suggested.

"I haven't had an old fashioned fist fight in a long time. How about tomorrow at dawn, the Watering Hole Outpost?"Jack countered.

"Sounds reasonable. I shall see you then." And with that, Marcus got back into his car and drove off.

Jack turned and saw the looks Carmina and Gina gave him.

"What?" he asked

The pair just stared at him before sighing.

XXXpagebreakXXX

Carmina watched Jack as he exercised, taking deep knee bends while carrying a tree log on his back. The group had headed to a recent site the Scavengers built up as a 'on the road' shelter,

"I thought you got superpowers or something from New Eden. Shouldn't you be tougher?' Carmina asked, noting the effort it was taking from her friend.

"I should be. And I can be." He said before dropping the log behind him. "But not always: I know what I should be capable of, strength and speed boosts. But actually doing? That's not as easy as you think. It's not something I can just switch on and off."

"Do you think you'll be able to use your Eden powers tomorrow?" Carmina asked.

"Well first of all can we workshop 'Eden Power'? Second of all I don't know." Jack admitted, jumping onto the table next to Carmina and crouching down.

"Well, anything happens we have your back." She tells him with a smile.

"No. No help. It's one on one. If a Highwayman interferes handle him, but no help." He tells her with a serious expression.

"What? Are you sure? But what if you can't handle him? I mean he is supposed to be this monster enforcer." She reminded him.

"Then I die. I'm hoping that won't happen, but it' a possibility." Jack admits.

"I don't get this at all." She tells him. "If something were to happen to you, what about everyone else? You think we'd be where we are without you?"

"I know it's stupid and selfish of me, but he could have tried jumping us, ambushing or, something. Instead, he came over and issued a challenge. I'll stick to the rules as long as he does." Jack says. Before jumping off the table and heading inside one of the shacks built to rest for the night.

XXXpagebreakXXX

As Dawn approached, Jack, Carmina, Gina and the Judge headed to the Watering hole. After jack gave them the 'don't help me' speech, Gina and the Judge went to different spots, trying to get a good vantage point in case anyone tried to interfere.

Jack took off his jacket, set down his equipment and crouched at a vantage point, looking around. Spotting Marcus driving up, he jumped down and met him.

"You come alone?" Jack asked, looking around.

"Indeed. I felt it best to do so. And yourself?" Marcus asked.

"No. 3 friends. Carmina is 25 feet behind me, up on the ledge, and I have two others. They won't jump in; they just want to make sure no one gets a bright idea." The Captain explains.

"I see. Very well I see no reasons we can't proceed." Marcus said, spotting Carmina where the Captain said she would be and giving a polite wave.

"Take a few minutes to look around, get an idea of where we're fighting." The Captain suggested.

"Ah, a very wet battleground. Why here I wonder?" Marcus asked.

"Honestly? The idea of us fighting here had a neat look in my head." The Captain admitted.

Marcus chuckled at the honest answer and looked around.

The pair watched as the morning light shined above the hills and trees, until finally the sun itself rose. Finishing their stretches, they looked at one another.

"Shall we?" Marcus said.

"Let's." The Captain agreed.

The pair stood a respectable distance apart and took a breath, then made their move.

The Captain was faster, scoring a few body blows, but Marcus grunted, his larger frame absorbing the impacts. Marcus swung, but the captain managed to move out of the way. When he tried a follow up blow, Marcus countered with a knee to the chest and a double punch to the captain, sending him back into the water.

The captain got back up after a moment and grinned. He was younger, able to rebound faster, and quicker, but Marcus clearly had much more experience in fighting, able to know when he could take a blow vs. when to block. And judging from their brief exchange, Marcus had the edge in physical strength.

Add in the almost 2 feet of water they were currently in altering their movements, and this would be a very interesting fight.

After a moment, the pair continued their fight, both trying their best to avoid being knocked over into the water which would likely give their opponent an advantage.

The fight went on, both trying to use their own strengths to their advantage, blow after blow, counter into counter, using the environment to shift things when possible.

Jack jumped onto a concrete divider and dove onto Marcus, who caught the younger man in a bear hug, squeezing so tight the Captain could hear popping from his joints. The Marcus shifted and tossed the Captain overhead and into the water. As the captain got up and out of the water, he was grabbed and once again tossed like a child, landing in the water.

As Jack surfaced and gasped for air, he realized that while those moves weren't hurting him, they were disorientating. As Marcus grabbed him to try to do another toss, Jack tried to shift. Marcus must have either felt the attempt to counter or predicted it through experience because he instead slammed the Captain down face first into the water.

Instead of letting him surface, he pressed his knee onto the Captains back and grabbed his neck, trying to drown his opponent.

Carmina gasped, watching as the Captain thrashed around, trying desperately to get up. She wanted to help, to grab her gun and take a shot….but she wouldn't. She could feel the tears in her eyes, telling her to either act or look away…yet she didn't she watched on, as the thrashing lessened, and then quieted.

Marcus took a breath and let go, keeping his knee on the Captains back. When suddenly things shifted and Marcus fell into the water. Surfacing quickly, Marcus looked around, but didn't see anything. No movement under the water, no ripples to indicate movement.

Then the Captain burst from directly in front of the Manslayer, tackling him and sending him into the water. As soon as Marcus felt the ground on his back the Captain's pressure vanished, allowing the older man to once again get up. He looked around, confused. The sun was up, he should be able to see the Captain under the water, especially if he surfaced so close, but he couldn't.

Then the Captain burst out of the water again, delivering multiple rapid punches to Marcus before the older man tried to swing back. The Captain instead fell back into the water with a splash, but when the water calmed he was gone.

Carmina couldn't believe her eyes; Jack was like a ghost in the water, moving without any presence. The Marcus fell like his feet were taken out from under him, and she watched as the Manslayer Enforcer was dragged several feet through the water as a shocking speed before he was tossed onto dry land.

Marcus coughed and turned over, watching the Captain walk onto shore.

"You aren't what they said you were. Your more." Marcus said, coughing.

"It's over." The Captain said, his yellow eyes returning to normal as the power of Eden faded, no longer needed.

"Indeed. I have lost." Marcus said, feeling no shame in admitting defeat after the physical battle between them.

"I don't want to kill you. You can join us, leave the Highwaymen. You've been with them for so long, you must see how they've changed for the worse with the twins at the helm.' Jack said.

"Indeed, they are much worse then what they were, but I've served with the highwaymen for years. They are still my family. I won't abandon them to join you." Marcus explained.

"I had a feeling. Then I'm sorry." Jack said, getting hit shotgun from Carmina, who came down.

Jack kissed the barrel of Sin-Eater, pointing it at Marcus.

"And Forevermore, Adieu."

And with that, he pulled the trigger, executing the Manslayer.

When he had done it against the leader of the Prosperity attack, it had felt like a release, taking out the man directing the forces against his home. Here, it saddened him to kill someone so honorable and tough, even one who served the Highwaymen. Yet, that was the nature of things. Marcus would have done the same. There was no use in wishing otherwise.

"Holy Shit….you just killed the Manslayer. When the twins hear this they're gonna flip." Gina said, walking over, eyes wide.

"SO, that thing where you kept vanishing under water….was that Eden Power?" Carmina asked.

"Still hate that name….and...I don't know." The Captain admitted, looking to the Judge, who just kinda shrugged, as if even he wasn't sure. "Let's say yes."

"I thought you were fucked." Carmina said, punching the Captain in the shoulder.

"Ow, well if it matters so did i." He admitted again. "Hey Gina, know a spot we can bring Marcus's body to the Highwaymen so he can be buried?"

"Yeah I think so, but it'd be best if we didn't go as a group. You head back to Prosperity, I'll meet you there." Gina said. The Captain and the Judge put Marcus the Manslayer's body in his car and Gina drove off.

XXXpagebreakXXX

Prosperity:

The trio arrived back just before dusk. The Judge went over to the garden area and kneeled down, likely meditating. Jack went to sleep soon after arriving, tired from the fight and using the Eden powers, leaving it up to Carmina to tell her mother what had happened.

"I'm glad going north to New Eden was worth it. I still don't trust Joseph, or his pet," Kim looked at the Judge over his shoulder, "But at least it's paying off."

"But we need to figure out a big blow against the highwaymen soon." Carmina said.

"Yeah. We'll start planning that out in the morning. For now, you should get some rest." Kim said. Carmina gave her a hug and left.

What no one would have noticed is behind the wooden mask of the Judge, a pair of eyes watched the mother and daughter, sadness in them.

XXXchapterendXXX

Well this took longer than I thought. There's a difference between having ideas in your head and putting them down, and that's always been a weakness for me.

Marcus the Manslayer was an original character created for this story, since there weren't many boss type characters in New Dawn and I felt I could do something different with him.

Also, side note: While typing this chapter I got an email from Playstation showing my gaming highlights, and Far Cry New Dawn was my most played game of 2019, with 166 game play hours logged, just above Far Cry 5 with 158 hours.

Next time: The twins try a new tactic against the Scavengers, while the Captain and the Judge head back to New Eden.


	10. Sick City

Here's the newest chapter. Sorry it took so long. Also, I want to just have a warning. There will be a subplot about a sickness in the county. This is a subplot I've planned for this chapter for some time, before the current events. It's just an unfortunate coincidence.

Carmina and Kim walked into the med-center carrying some new blankets and rags. Selene was busier then they had seen her since the attack on Prosperity two weeks ago. Carmina dipped some rags in water and rang them out before placing in on a patient's forehead.

A couple days ago, a sickness had started showing up in the community and some of the outposts. It started out as fatigue and soreness, which was ignored given the everyday circumstances they had to endure. Then the high fever suddenly showed up, proving things were more serious than they thought. By the time they realized the problem, half the community was sick.

Luckily, last night it seemed Selene finally managed to figure out how to cure the fever. At the moment, Jack, her dad, Jerome and the Judge were out, trying to gather as many ingredients for the cure as they could find. Meanwhile, Gina and Nana were out trying to help at outposts while Carmina and her mom did what they could to keep things going in the med center while Selene prepped to make more cure when the others got back.

XXXpagebreakXXX

Nick checked his rifle again out of habit while he waited for the judge to finish scouting on top of the tree. He would have preferred to go with The Captain or Jerome, but he didn't want to argue so he went with Seed's pet. He understood why they needed to partner with Eden's gate, he knew the Judge was a tough bastard…but the occasional pain on his chest served as a reminder why he could never trust Seed or anyone from Eden.

He was broken from his musings when the Judge climbed down from the tree and grunted. Nick looked at him as the Judge pointed to the west.

"We got those herbs there. Ok, let's grab them" Nick said. Judge nodded and the pair headed to the vest, finding some of the herbs they had been sent to get. Nick and the Judge collected them all, putting them into their bag.

"So, we need to find that funny moss now." Nick said. The Judge nodded and they headed off to their car. Nick had heard the Judge was fine traveling on foot, but he insisted they use a car. They had it in sight when the Judge suddenly stopped, holding out his arm to keep Nick from going forward.

"What is it?" Nick asked. The Judge was still, before pulling part of his hood back, so the hood didn't cover his ear. He wanted to ask again but if The Judge had heard something more noise wouldn't be useful. Instead, he used this opportunity to get a rare look at part of the Judge that wasn't covered up. It was only his ear and some hair but it was more then he usually seen.

What skin could be seen was pale white; meaning even though he clearly spent time outside, the sun never touched his skin. The hair was kept short but it had a reddish color. He hadn't seen that shade much.

Nick knew Joseph Seed was strange, but he couldn't shake the feeling there had to be some big reason why the Judge was so obsessed with covering himself.

Suddenly the Judge moved, pulling Nick behind a thick tree and bushes. Suddenly a large pink Highwayman Vehicle barreled down the road and smashed into their car. Nick gripped his gun harder, realizing that a truck that size should be louder. That was why the Judge reacted that way. He could hear what little sound the truck made and realized something was up.

Highwaymen got out of their massive truck and looked around. From their hidden vantage point, Nick and The Judge could see the Highwaymen argue amongst themselves before one of them took out his gun and shot the other. They tossed something out of the truck before they all got back in and left.

Nick and The Judge looked at each other, wondering what happened. After the judge was sure they were gone, the pair got out of the bushes and went to see what happened.

"Oh man this car is wrecked. It can still go but I can't guarantee it won't fall to pieces the first bump we hit." Nick said as he looked over the car while the Judge inspected the shot Highwayman. Hearing a grunt, Nick walked over to the Judge.

"What's...man this guy doesn't look very good beyond the bullet hole in his face. Hey I think he may have that thing going around." Nick said, noticing the very flushed look on the dead mans face, much like the sick people at Prosperity.

Nick kneeled down and looked through the bag that had been tossed aside. Suddenly he heard the Judge grunt and help a sharp slap against his leg. Nick jumped up, about to demand an explanation when he saw something in the judge's hand. Some sort of bug he hadn't seen before. Hard to tell what it was now that it had been squished, but it seemed to be some kind of centipede.

"What is that?" Nick asked. The judge shrugged, grabbing a cloth from the Highwaymen's discarded bag and wrapping the bug in it.

"Come on, we've got a walk ahead of us to the nearest outpost." Nick said, taking out a map to find the nearest one. The Judge nodded and the pair started.

XXXpagebreakXXX

Jerome collected the large sack they brought for the ingredients the Captain was collecting from the water. Apparently, the oil from the Demonfish was one of the things in Selene's cure. They already had two, but the Captain wanted to grab another one he saw around.

Reaching the shore, Jerome put the demonfish in the bag when he heard something in the water. Looking up, he saw the Captain swimming to shore with the final Demonfish.

"Think this is good?" Captain asked helping put the fish in the sack.

"If it isn't we know where you can get more." Jerome said with a chuckle. As the Captain was about to get dressed, they heard a crash. The pair went over and saw their car was toast, but no sign of what did it.

"What the hell?" The Captain said, looking around.

"Looks like we're walking. The Refinery is pretty close by, right?" Jerome asked.

"Yeah, about 15 minutes on foot. Least we won't be lugging these fish that far. I have a feeling they're gonna smell before long." The Captain said, picking up the Sack and heading off.

XXXpagebreakXXX

Mickey and Lou watched as their newest Truck, the Rabbit Killer, was fueled, to head back out. It was damned near unstoppable, and would smash any rabbit it came across. It was covered in so much armor they would need one hell of a boom to punch through it, and their best grease monkeys had worked on the engine to make sure it was he quietest it could possibly be, to sneak up on an unsuspecting Rabbit. Now they just had to avoid getting that damn fever that's been going around.

"Our Rabbit Killer will handle our Rabbit problem once and for all." Lou said, sitting down in her chair with a smug grin.

"It better. That Rabbit's luck has been making the crew nervous." Mickey told her.

"The fuck he has. I find anyone scared of that fucking Rabbit and I'll cut their goddamn face off." Lou growled.

"Fuck yeah, but I'll say this. If that Rabbit escapes this, we might have a problem." Mickey said to her sister. Lou rolled her eyes.

XXXpagebreakXXX

Night fell by the time the groups got back to Prosperity, delivering their supplies to Selene so she could get started on more of her cure. Once that was done, the men compared notes about their unusual events.

"We didn't even see what it was. All we heard was a crash." Jerome said.

"Yeah, we saw some truck hit our car to. It was big, and armored. And very fucking silent. The Judge barely heard it, and if he hadn't we would have been in the car when it was nailed." Nick explained.

"Seems like the Highwaymen got something new." The Captain said, thinking.

The Judge grunted, grabbing something from his pocket and putting it on the table.

"What is that?" Jerome asked, watching the Judge unwrap the cloth and reveal a strange bug.

"Oh, that's right. The Judge found that crawling on me when I was looking through some Highwaymen junk. Never seen anything like it." Nick said.

"Wait, you haven't? Judge, what about you?" Captain asked, suddenly curious. The Judge shook his head.

"Carmina, come over here for a second." The Captain called out. The young Rye daughter walked over.

"What's ….ew what is that?" Carmina asked, spotting the bug.

"You haven't seen it before either….that's interesting." The Captain said, examining the bug closer.

"What you thinking?" Jerome questioned.

"I'll let you know in a second." The Captain said, taking the cloth and the bug and heading over to the Med-Center.

"Selene, come here." The Captain said. The medical…expert...came over, tired from all her hectic working.

"What's the issue my man, I'm a little busy." Selene asked.

"This bug was on some Highwaymen stuff. No one's ever seen it before. Think it might be related." The Captain asked.

Selene took a look at the bug, examining the pincers.

"Hey, whoa yeah. I've seen some funny bites on some of the sick people. That might be where it came from." Selene said.

"So, some Highwaymen brought this with them when they came to the County. And now it's spreading." The Captain theorized.

"That would make sense. Explains why no one's ever seen this bug, or this sickness." Jerome added.

"Wait, wouldn't Gina have seen it through?" Nick asked.

"Maybe not. There are a lot of Highwaymen groups, so that means it came from an area she's not from. Maybe some Highwaymen came with Marcus when he arrived." Carmina suggested.

"I would say that lines up my girl." Selene said.

"How's your cure going?" The Captain asked.

"It's almost ready. Can't rush it." Selene said.

"Make some extra and we'll take it with us." The Captain told her, heading to the weapons bench.

"What's going on?" Nick asked.

"Judge and I are headed to New Eden. Good chance they might have picked up this bug if they had contact with the Highwaymen. And if they do we shouldn't waste time." The Captain said, grabbing some arrows.

The judge collected Selene's cure and the two got into the car, heading to New Eden.

XXXpagebreakXXX

It was very early in the morning then the pair arrived in New Eden. Going inside, they found despite the early time there was plenty of activity. Walking deeper into New Eden, they were spotted by Joseph, who walked over.

"It's good to see you both. But this is not a good time. A sickness has arrived in New Eden." The Father told them.

"Let me guess. Started with them being sore and tired, then they got hot fast?" The Captain asked.

"Indeed, you know of what we face?" Joseph asked.

"We're pretty sure some new Highwaymen brought a present. Some kinda bug is causing this." The Captain explains.

"So the plague of locust brought a plague of sickness. Poetic." Joseph said.

"Yep. Luckily, we brought a present. It smells like crap but it'll help..." The Captain said, holding up the bag they brought with them.

Joseph nodded and the trio started passing out Selene's cure.

The Captain stood up after helping an elder drink the cure and stretched. Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw someone coming. Looking over, he saw a woman carrying her child, a girl about 5 years old.

"Is she sick?" Jack asked walking over, clearly seeing how bad the child looked.

"That is not good. We have no more of The Cure." Joseph said, walking over worried.

The Captain placed a hand on the girl's forehead and his eyes widen.

"She is burning up bad. I don't think she can wait for us to make the trip to get more." The Captain told them.

"Then what can we do?" The girl's mother asked. The Captain was silent before he looked up.

"We'll take her to Prosperity, it's the only way." The Captain said.

"The people of Prosperity have strong feelings about me and my people. Will they help her?" Joseph asked.

"They will. They don't like you, but they will never turn down a child in need." The Captain said confidently.

The Judge took the girl from her mother as they made their way to the entrance.

"She's going to be fine. You have my word." The Captain told her mother as they left.

"Our prayers are will you." Joseph said, many of the people behind him already praying to God for his blessings in their trip.

XXXpagebreakXXX

The Captain and the Judge had been on the road for some time. The sun was finally coming up, and it was already bright out. On the other hand, maybe it was they were tired from being up for so long. Either one was possible.

"How is she doing?" Jack asked the Judge. He judge gave a low grunt. She was still pretty sick. They had to get to Prosperity soon.

Suddenly, the shine of a reflection shone on the dashboard.

"What is that?" Jack asked out loud, looking back. Behind them, a pink truck he hadn't seen before was chasing after them.

The Judge grunted again.

"Is that what you and Nick saw?" Jack asked. The Judge nodded. The Captain eyed the incoming Truck, and noted the bulky design. It was clearly built to take a beating and give one out. Even the windshield was covered in metal, with only a small part exposed. No way he'd be getting a lucky shot on the driver with that set up. The engine of the Truck got louder and it started picking up speed. It seemed that being loud meant being fast. Made sense given the Twins.

Seeing how fast it was coming up, The Captain gripped his steering wheel.

"Hang on." He said, The Judge held the girl close to keep her steady and right before the Truck hit them, the Captain hit the brakes and spun the wheel, letting it pass them by.

"Listen, I'll handle these losers. Get her out and get her to Prosperity. Go!" The Captain said, seeing the reluctance to bail in the Judges body language. The Judge nodded and got out, carrying the girl away and hurrying to Prosperity.

The Captain tapped into his 'Eden Power' (a name he blamed Carmina for) and pushed the door off on his side of the car, as well as the roof, giving him more space. He spun around just in time to see the Highwaymen's massive Truck heading to him. The Captain put the car in reverse and speeds off, the truck in hot pursuit. As it approached, he got ready, and jumped out of the car and onto the Truck, taking out Sin-Eater.

"And Forevermore, Adieu!" He shouted, putting the gun in the small opening and firing. The Truck started jerking and swinging.

"Oh this was a bad idea!" The Captain shouted as the Truck went into the woods.

XXXpagebreakXXX

Nick and Carmina were working on a car together when they heard someone on the fence speak out. It seemed the Judge was coming.

They grabbed their guns went to the Gate and saw the Judge running over, carrying someone small.

"Where's the Captain?" Nick asked confused.

Carmina shrugged and went to the entrance to meet the Judge. The question she was about to ask him was stopped when she saw the sick child in the Judges arms.

"Holy shit she needs help." Carmina said, taking the little girl from the Judge, who slumped against the wall. Despite every inch of his body being covered, it was clear how exhausted he was. He had to have been carrying the girl for some time. Jerome helped the Judge to a bench to sit down as Kim ran out.

"Where's the Captain?" She asked.

"I don't know. Maybe he got held up?" Carmina asked, carrying the girl to Selene.

"No, hold on. Where is the Captain?" Kim asked the Judge directly. The Judge, clearly tired, tried to grunt and point out.

"Kim we don't have time for this. That little girl is sick and needs help." Jerome spoke up.

"We're not saying she's not sick but we need the Captain and this guy knows." Nick said.

The Captain grabbed Nick's shirt and pulled him close. Nick was about to say something when he suddenly paled, looking at the Judge in a stunned expression, even dropping his rifle.

"Oh my god….." Nick finally uttered.

XXXpagebreakXXX

After finally managing to deal with the Highwaymen and leaving their Truck a pile of rubble, the Captain eventually arrived back at Prosperity, walking in. His first stop was the med Center, and was relieved to see the little girl in one of the beds, Selene next to her.

"How is she?" He asked softly. He may have questioned Selene at first, how could he not with how…scattered she could seem, but she had defiantly impressed him with how she handled this.

"She's doing good big man. Little lady got here just in time." Selene told him quietly. He sighed in relief and was when they could take her back when he realized Selene had fallen asleep in her chair. He grabbed a blanket and covered her before heading out.

He walked into the main building and spotted the others, sitting around the fire. The first thing he noticed was they were unusually silent; the other was that the Judge wasn't present.

"What's going on?" Jack asked walking over. Getting closer, he noticed the old folks of the room seemed more hit by whatever was going on.

Nick opened his mouth, but nothing came out, and he looked at his wife and Jerome.

"What? Where's the Judge?" Jack asked again.

"Jack…The Judge….is the deputy." Kim finally said.

"….what?" Jack asked confused.

"The Deputy I told you about…..he's the Judge." Carmina said.

"From what little we've been able to piece together, it seems the Deputy and Joseph ended up in a bunker together after the bombs fell. We don't know what happened together but, clearly something happened." Jerome said.

"The Deputy was an outgoing, friendly guy. How did he become that?" Nick finally said: his first words in some time.

The group fell silent as they thought.

XXXchapterendXXX

And there it is. The Judge's secret is out. How will this change things, and will they learn the story of what happened?

With their latest attempt to get rid of the Captain a failure, the Twins make a cold attempt to solve their problem.

Next time: Damn Stubborn


	11. Run Rabbit Run

Glad people enjoyed Sick City. Before I start the next chapter, I just want to address something people have asked. The Fangs for Hire will not be in the story. I don't really like the fangs for hire, and even when I play the games I very rarely go to the effort of getting them. Sorry.

Current Chapter: Run Rabbit (formerly Damn Stubborn)

Carmina followed the Captain as they walked through the island. The recent discovery of the true identity of The Judge?...Deputy? Had more than shaken some of the folks of Prosperity. Hopefully this trip would shed some light on things. Because they needed answers.

"So we ever gonna get there?' Carmina asked watching the Captain look around. He seemed unusually unsure of himself on this island.

"Last time I was here things looked different. Less sunshine more purple and hallucinations." He told her as they headed for a tower he spotted.

The Judge had taken the reveal of his true identity hard, and had isolated himself from the rest even more so then he already had. Her parents wanted to rip the mask off the Judge and get the deputy back, but those who spent time with the Judge knew it would not be so easy.

XXXflashbackXXX

The previous day:

"How could you not know he was the Deputy?" Nick asked Jack as he group sat in the boat house just outside Prosperity. They had moved here after agreeing that arguing like this in front of everyone else would be terrible for morale.

"How the hell was I supposed to know? I've never even met the guy. Or did you think Joseph said "the Judge is an artist of pain, oh and he's also my old enemy, but keep that bit between us." Jack countered.

"I say we go ask Joseph about this directly." Kim suggested.

"Uh, I don't know if that's such a groovy move." Sharky said nervously.

Yeah. I mean we love the Deputy, but the difference between him and the Judge is like a scooter and my hot ride." Hurk said, though he did shrink back when he realized people didn't enjoy that comparison.

"That is a good point. Clearly there's much we don't know about. It would be wise to proceed with care on this matter." Jerome said.

"We can't just leave the Deputy in the hands of Joseph." Kim says.

"You may not have a choice. It's been a lot of years since you guys saw The Deputy. Who knows what happened in that time." The Captain said before leaning forward and closing his eyes.

"Are you ok?" Carmina asked, noticing her friend seemed out of it.

"Tired. Taking down that truck took a lot out of me." He admits.

"Come on, you need some sleep." Carmina says, helping The Captain up to Prosperity.

"How can we leave The Deputy with Joseph. Can you imagine what he's been through?" Kim wondered.

"I can't. But it does make me wonder. For as much as The Deputy was changed by Joseph, is it unreasonable to consider that Joseph has been changed in turn by the deputy?" Jerome asked aloud.

XXXpresentXXX

After helping the Captain to bed, Carmina went to sleep herself. But it was only a few hours later when the Captain came into her room and woke her up, telling her he had an idea how to find out more about the Judge and Joseph.

Hence how they got to the island.

"There we go. Last time I saw it I was more focused on the nuclear blast behind it, but that's it." Jack said. Carmina just gave him a look.

"I said there were hallucinations." He reminded her.

They went to the heavy door, and it took the Captain a few moments to pull it open.

They went down into the Bunker and began to look around.

"So where were this notes you found?" Carmina asked.

"Don't know. I didn't think they meant anything so I didn't pay much mind. Not a lot of space for them to be somewhere though." Jack says as they began their search.

The first note they found was a barely coherent set of scribbles they think was done by the Judge.

The next few were in different handwriting and much more coherent: Josephs notes no doubt. The two resembled passages from The Word, the book The Captain had found the first time he had been in here. So they were likely drafts that weren't included in the finished book.

The next one was Joseph considering giving the Deputy a mercy killing before deciding to make him understand Joseph's kindness, how there was still a plan for him.

The third was the one Carmina found most interesting. Joseph wrote that he had seen a face in a vision, a face he didn't recognize, but would be his child to shepherd his flock after he was gone. Given what she had heard, it was clear this was about the Captain. Carmina gave a subtle glance to her best friend, who has a look on his face she hadn't seen much. It was clear he wasn't sure about being "the shepherd of Eden". He wouldn't admit it, but she had gotten to know him best, except for Rush, and while the Captain didn't enjoy the attention, he took his responsibilities seriously. He may not want to be a Shepherd, but he would help them.

As they were about to leave, The Captain found one more note on the floor of the bathroom, as well as something under the medicine cabinet on the floor. Handing the note to Carmina, he kneeled down to get it, careful of glass from the broken mirror.

The note was in the same handwriting as the first one they found, but much more coherent and legible. Reading the passage, it seems The Deputy had suffered a breakdown as a result of everything that had happened. Which Carmina could understand. From the stories, almost immediately after the defeat of Joseph the Collapse occurred. The timing and isolation would no doubt play havoc on anyone's mind.

As she read, she noticed a bit that explained a lot, especially the Judge's absence since being discovered.

"Listen to this. 'Please give me a mask I am afraid. No one can know me.' This is why he didn't tell anyone. He thinks the deputy made a mistake, and that as the Judge he won't make another." Carmina said. She watched Jack stand up, a prototype mask in his hand, with a crack in it.

"All things considered, he held up ok." The Captain said looking at the mask. They could almost see the history of the mask. The obsessive carving of a man scared of his own identity. The mask being worn for the first time. They noticed a small shard of glass in the mask, looked at the broken mirror. It was likely that the first time the mask was worn, the Judge smashed his own face into the mirror, resulting in the need for a new one. But was it the Judge killing his past, or perhaps the Deputy making a last futile grasp to stay alive.

After another check to see if they had missed anything, the pair left to return to Prosperity.

XXXpagebreakXXX

After returning home and informing the others of what they found, Jack went to his spot and sat down, thinking. He never could have imagined how complicated things could have turned out.

Hearing footsteps approaching, he opened his eyes and saw Gina walking over.

"I'm not in the mood." He said.

"I wasn't going to ask that. I just wanted to see how you were doing." She said. It would be easy for her to view the Captain as just a side-boy, but he had done so much, not just for the community, but for her. He was her friend.

"I prefer uncomplicated things. Like putting an arrow in someone." He admits.

"Well arrows aren't my thing but I know what you mean." Gina said. "listen, if you want to talk you know where to find me."

Jack leaned back and closed his eyes as Gina walked away. After a few minutes he heard footsteps again. His mouth was already open to make a comment to Gina when he realized that wasn't who was approaching. He was very glad he didn't say what he had been about to.

"What's up?" he quickly asked.

"Listen, I'm worried, but I didn't want to say anything in front of anyone else. Rush went out to check on some outposts and hasn't been back yet." Kim informed him.

"It has been a few days since I saw him." The Captain recalls. "I'll do some checking. Give me a moment. It'll be good to have some time to myself."

Kim nods, taking this to mean the Captain doesn't intend to bring anyone with him and walks away, going to the clinic to check on the girl from New Eden, who was recovering well from her sickness.

XXXpagebreakXXX

The Captain was presently on the road to the Refinery. Rush had made it to the Chop Shop and had said that was his next stop.

As he passed by an old grain storage facility, something caught his eye and he spun the car around as bullets began hitting the passengers side. The Captain climbed out of the car and grabbed some arrows, popping up and firing, taking out the three highwaymen who tried to jump him.

Before he could question what they were doing there, his radio squawked and the twins spoke up.

"Well hello Rabbit. Listen up, we got Rush and a bunch of other rabbits over here, so if you want to save them you'd better hurry up. You are gonna learn what happens when you fuck with us."

The Captain headed over to the storage building and began his search, starting his rescue of scavengers as he went. He found some of the scavengers inside a silo, with a damaged circuit breaker. Noticiing piping coming from the side, he began searching for the other end to the pipes.

The Captain tossed down pallets leaning against the wall and pulled the switch hidden behind them, then made his way back to the door. With the switch pulled, he opened the door and told them to go.

It's at this point the twins decided to up the pressure. He had only a few minutes to rescue 4 scavengers from an explosive death, with highwaymen thrown in to delay him. He'd give the twins this, they really went out of their way to make this complicated.

Not helping matters was the fact the twins incessant taunting and talking the entire time.

"Ready for more? This is what happens when you fuck with us." Lou taunted.

Heading inside a building, he saw a survivor behind a door locked with a keycard. The Keycard was pinned to a bulletin board with a knife. Grabbing the keycard, he slide in into the reader and opened the door, freeing the hostage and defusing the bomb.

Heading to the side of the storage facility, he hotwired the damaged tractor parked in front of the door to get it started and moving forward. He released the brake and got out of the way, drawing Sin-Eater and shooting a Highwaymen in the face, destroying his head. Hearing a crash, he spun around as a car barreled towards him, hitting him and knocking Sin-Eater from his hands. Grabbing a throwing knife, he threw it at the driver and killed him, the car crashing into another highwaymen and pinning him to the wall. The Captain freed the scavengers from the formerly blocked room and threw another throwing knife, killing the Highwaymen pinned to the wall.

The Captain turned to get the Sin-Eater, but considered the time and grunted. He didn't have a lot of time, so he'd have to get it later.

He found the third hostage in a small maze of storage containers, freeing him with ease, minus the four dead Highwaymen outside the entrance to the containers.

Heading inside one of the buildings, he found a woman inside with a bomb around her neck. He cut the bomb off from around her neck and defused it. Hearing something behind him, he pivoted and kicked the approaching highwaymen in the head. He tossed him the bomb, which panicked the Highwaymen before the Captain stabbed him in the neck and tossed him through a bordered up window.

"How's your memory these days? Gonna need it for the next part in the basement." Lou said over the radio. Hearing that, he made his way to the basement. Behind a massive metal fence were three hostages, and with them a set of barrels wired to explosives. In front of the Captain were a series of fourth switches. He pulled the first switch and a light turned red, before the switch reset.

He tried another one and the light turned green and stayed on. Then he pulled another switch, and the second light turned red, then both lights went off.

'So that's what she meant. I have to them in the correct order.' Jack thought. It took him about 45 seconds to set the correct combination, freeing the hostages in the other room.

"Just got to squeeze a bit more out of them. Until they don't have anything left." Mickey taunted over thr radio. Heading up to the roof to get a good view of the area, he spotted a scavenger tied to an old billboard, a yellow lock above him.

Drawing his bow back, the Captain took aim and let go, the arrow flying through the air and hitting the lock, breaking it and freeing the scavenger. Continuing up the stairway to the roof, he spotted a second scavenger on a tree hunting platform. Grabbing his arrow and drawing his bow back, he takes aim and fired, breaking the lock on this one as well.

Making it to the roof, he spotted the third hostage on an old radio tower. Heading over to the edge to get a good spot, he could hear the twins again.

"We told you. The only currency in this world is power-and you? You think your swimming it in. But you'll see: it doesn't matter what you do. It doesn't matter how hard you try. You don't control what happens. We do."

The Captain ignored them and took aim, but before he could fire a Highwayman came up front behind and fired. The brief fight with the Highwayman damaged his bow, but the Captain was able to break the neck of the highwayman. Dropping his quiver and bow, the Captain grabbed the handgun from the corpse of the Highwayman and took aim, pulling the trigger. The scavenger almost tipped over after the lock is broken but he is able to get down.

"You're gonna do exactly what we say, or Rush dies. Come meet us inside hero." Mickey taunts.

He headed over to the top of the roof, where he expected to find the.

"leave your weapons outside. You don't have power here." Lou said. With Sin-eater in the bushes down below, and his bow broken, the Captain didn't have to worry about weapons. Not that he would listen to those cowards anyway.

Walking up to the door, he kicked it open and walked inside, only to be blindsided when one of them smashed her motorcycle helmet into his head, sending him stumbling. The other twin the followed up with her own helmet, knocking him a bit loopy. When the cobwebs cleared his head, he was handcuffed to the ceiling. But what got his attention, was Rush tied up 5 feet in front of him.

"You just had to do things the hard way. You had to go and make things difficult. You had to go and be a problem. You chose the stick, and now your going to learn just what that means." Mickey said, getting in his face before turning.

Lou was standing behind Rush, and fired the shotgun she had put against his the back of his head, killing him instantly.

Time seemed to slow down as Jack watched his oldest friend tip over and fall forward, still tied up.

Lou walked around and grimaced.

"Ah fuck. Gonna be spending all night wiping those hopes and dreams off my boots." She said with a sick laugh. She tossed the shotgun to her sister before picking up her helmet.

"You know, before you showed up, everything was fucking great!" She swung her helmet and hit him in the head again. "Then you showed up. You and your fancy train and fancy people- trying to make this place into something its-never-gonna-be!"

She punctuated those sentences with more helmet hits as Mickey stormed over.

"And when we tried to be reasonable, you had to go and stir the pot."

"Over and over and over." Lou jumped in with more helmet blows and a kick to mix things up.

"All because you thought there was a hope for a future? There's no hope for you, no future. For any of you!"

The Captain had heard enough. The power of Eden flowing through him so much his skin was starting to steam, his eyes turned yellow and channeling his rage, he broke free of the handcuffs.

Mickey's eyes went wide in shock.

"OH SHIT!" She shouted, trying to hit him with the shotgun she still held.

The captain grabbed the gun with his left hand, and grabbed Mickey's throat with his right, tossing her 10 feet through the air and slamming her into the wall.

Lou ran over and slammed her helmet into the Captain's head as hard as she could. Fueled by rage and Eden, the blow didn't register to the Captain, and he barely flinched. He spun around as Lou tried to hit him with her helmet again, but the Captain easily caught it.

Confusion and a bit of fear entered Lou's eyes as she struggled to comprehend what was happening. A spin kick sent her stumbling back, and the captain chucked her into the wall, right next to the window. He marched over and punched her in the head. As he prepared to slam Lou's head into the concrete wall and smash it like a melon, he heard a click. Spinning around he saw Mickey 2 feet away, as well as the shotgun in her hands.

Even as Mickey pulled the trigger, she couldn't hide the same fear and confusion in her eyes that her sister had.

Time slowed down as the shotgun blast slammed into him, the sheer force sending him through the window and plummeting 40 feet to the ground with a massive thud.

The captain drifted in and out of consciousness, not even feeling the kicks Lou was delivering to his side.

"Lou, enough its done." Mickey said walking over with a limp.

"Fuck, you saw that right? How he fucking hulked out like that?" Lou exclaimed in confusion.

"Everything was normal before he went up north. I'm thinking its time we go ask'em freaks some questions." Mickey said.

The Twins clearly believed the Captain dead as they left.

The Captain had no idea how long he laid there before he was able to summon the strength to shift himself. Looking up, he could see the hole in the window he had fallen from.

Every movement, every moment sent pain through the Captain, blood pouring from him. He had seen enough combat to know a blast that close should have killed him...the Eden Fruit. Its power was the only possible explanation as to how he was alive.

Slowly, he began crawling up. After an eternity passed, the captain couldn't move anymore. Looking up, he saw he was only a few feet from the door. Gritting his teeth, he forced his body forward. Somehow managing to stand and pushing the door open, he saw the sight.

Rush, his best friend, the closest he had to an older brother, if not a father, lying on the ground in a pool of blood, his head completely destroyed. The captain took a step and fell forward, falling to the ground. Trying to get closer, some desperate useless hope Rush was alive somehow, even as the sight told him otherwise.

Inches from Rush's body, the Captain couldn't go on, the pain, injuries and blood loss taking its toll, even the endless will of the Captain reaching its limit.

As he lay there, he heard a noise. The Door opened….footsteps…..someone was there.

The Captain opened his mouth to try to speak, but with every bit of energy lost, and the blood pouring from his chest draining energy he didn't have, all he could do was gulp like a fish. He watched the figure walk over, and all went black.

XXXpagebreakXXX

New Eden:

Joseph gave a relieved sigh as he and the mother of the sick girl listened to the Scavenger who came up to see them. The Rye Family had many reasons to hate him due to the past, so them sending a messenger to inform them the young child had been cured and would be returned in a few days was a welcome olive branch. As the mother of the girl thanked the messenger, Joseph was suddenly gripped by a cold feeling around his heart. A feeling he hadn't felt in so many years, when his family was dying and his attempts to save the herd was threatened.

The Shepherd of his flock was in mortal danger. This was clearly what God was telling him. Joseph knelt down and began to pray, hoping to send strength to aid the one who would succeed him.

XXXpagebreakXXX

"I'm worried about the Captain. He should have been back by now." Kim said, helping her daughter load magazines.

"It's fine mom. The Captain was unstoppable before, and with that Eden Power nothing's gonna stop him." Carmina said with a laugh.

"Probably calling someone an idiot." Grace said, loading bullets faster than one would expect, her muscle memory more than compensating for her lost eyes.

"Hey, he's not that bad." Carmina pointed out with a chuckle.

Kim smiled at her daughters defense of the Captain.

"HOLY FUCK WE NEED HELP OUT HERE!" A voice from the gate screamed, making everyone move. Carmina grabbed her rifle and ran outside, the sight making her blood run cold.

The Captain, her invincible, Highwaymen killing machine best friend, laying on the ground 30 feet from the front gates. His face was so pale, and chest wrapped in bandages that soaked in blood.

Next to him was a body with a sheet on it. Someone pulled the sheet up and went pale and green at the same time.

"We Gotta get the Captain inside now." Nick said.

"He's in terrible shape, we need something to keep him steady while we move him." Jerome said, looking around.

A loud noise.

The Judge was back. He ran over to a car parked near the side of Prosperity and ripped the front hood off, bringing it over.

"That should work. Everyone be careful moving him." Kim said, trying to keep things calm. The group slowly put the Captain onto the hood, using it as a gurney and bringing him inside, to the clinic. The other adults herded the kids inside so they didn't see the sight.

While they were glad to see the Jud…Deputy again, there were more pressing concerns.

Carmina was in shock, she could barely register the voice next to her informing her mom that the other body was a dead Rush.

Selene ran out of the Clinic and got a look at the Captain's wounds.

"Oh oh man, I didn't know people could live after getting this hurt. His chest is like a blown up pile of meat." She said nervous, trying to figure out where to treat first. Selene, Kim, Jerome, and the Judge brought the Captain inside and began to tend to him.

Gina placed a hand on Carmina's shoulder, trying to be comforting to the young girl as they watched from outside.

XXXchapterendXXX

This one I wasn't quite sure how I wanted to do it. I wrote and rewrote trying to do what I wanted.

The Judges absence in the chapter is simple. He was ashamed. He didn't want people to know who he had been, and for his old friends to find out drove him into temporary hiding, but not enough he wouldn't be there when needed.

Who was the figure who arrived and saved The Captain, bringing him and Rush's body back to Prosperity?

And when will I start updating regularly? All this and more, later.

Next time:

In an attempt to remind the Judge of who he used to be, Kim asks him to step up while the Captain is out of action. While the Judge tries to balance expectations of who he used to be, the Highwaymen try a new tactic against the Scavengers.


	12. The Silent Judge

Here is the new chapter. It is again mostly original events. Hope you enjoy.

Kim sat at the table with Jerome and Nick, when Gina, who was carrying her son, joined them, Jerome moving to allow the mother to take his seat.

"How is The Captain?" Gina asked as she fed Blade from a bottle.

"Not great. He has a fever. Probably got an infection from the massive open hole in his chest." Kim said, smiling despite herself watching the former Highwaywoman with her son.

"I thought he was supposed to be superhuman or something? Cause of that thing with Joseph Seed? Shouldn't he be ok?" Nick asked.

"That chest wound is from a shotgun, maybe two feet away." Jerome said whose familiarity with shotguns let him tell what the origin of the massive wound was. "I'd call living after that pretty superhuman."

The table fell silent until Gina spoke up.

"So where are the others?" She asked, noticing a few missing faces around the place.

"Hurk, Sharky and The Ju..Deputy are out on a patrol, they'll be back soon. Nina went back to her lookout for something, and Carmina is still sitting with the Captain." Kim said.

"So, how are you guys taking this whole thing with The Judge? Can you just explain what that's about?" Gina asked.

"You've heard the general story of the Deputy right? How he helped fight the Peggies before the collapse. Well when the collapse happened, it seems the Deputy and Joseph Seed ended up in a Bunker together. Based on those notes The Captain and Carmina found, it seems the Captain suffered a break of some kind." Jerome explained.

"Which doesn't make any sense. Deputy knew the kind of guy Joseph Seed was. He wouldn't join up with him." Nick stated.

"I wouldn't be so sure. Joseph Seed has the tongue of the devil. It's part of how he got so many in his Cult. Spending years locked in a bunker with only his bullshit for company, plus everything that happened with the Collapse, at a minimum. When you think about it, a psychotic break isn't that surprising." Kim said softly.

"You guy's gonna try and get him back?" Gina asked, patting her son's back softly when he finished his bottle.

"We hope so, but that won't be easy. When you get down to it, we didn't know the Deputy all that long, only a few months. He's been under the sway of Seed for years." Jerome said.

"Doesn't mean we won't try." Kim said.

Gina nodded and got up to put her son down for a nap. As she walked, she glanced into the Clinic and saw Carmina sitting next to the Captain's bed. She stepped inside and walked over.

"Gina, is everything ok?" Carmina asked, noticing the older woman walking over.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Just wanted to see how things were going." Gina said.

"He's still got a fever but he seems to be sleeping a bit more." Carmina said, looking at her friend, lying unconscious on the bed, multiple bandages covering him.

"What about you? You've been here since they finished on him." Gina says.

"I'm fine. I don't want to leave in case he wakes up." Carmina replies.

"You need to at least get some air. How about after I put Blade down for a nap and get some lunch I'll take over and you can take a break." Gina offers.

"That'd be great, thank you." Carmina says, smiling at the sleeping child.

Gina smiles back and leaves the room. After putting Blade down for a nap with a babysitter, she heads to the kitchen to get something to eat. As she does, she spots Nick heading out with some tools.

"Where's he going?" Gina asks Kim, who is making lunch for the kids.

"Nick? He's off to try and work on Carmina." Kim says.

Gina pauses and turns, looking at Kim as though trying to figure out what she just said.

"Back before the Collapse Nick had an airplane named Carmina. That's where our daughter got her name from." Kim explained, seeing the look.

Gina just raised an eyebrow.

"Nick says it made sense to him and when he picked out the name I was still on painkillers from giving birth." Kim said, a smile as she remembered those events.

"Hell not like I can complain. Least Carmina is a nice name. Think about what Hurk named our son." Gina replied.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Kim says with a giggle. Truthfully, given Hurk's…eccentricities Blade was probably a tame choice.

"I still remember when Carmina was born. The Deputy was there for that." Kim said.

"Really? Tell me about that. I mean I've certainly heard of him quite a bit but I can't say I've heard much about him." Gina says, helping to plate the kid's food.

"Well at the time I didn't know Morgan that well, I had only met him a few times. But when I went into Labor he and Nick got me into the Truck and he drove us to the clinic. That was the single most insane car ride I've ever been on, I can't even describe all the batshit things that happened, Nick is doing a bad job of keeping me calm, Morgan is trying not to crash, I'm in the back yelling. But somehow we got to the clinic, and after that we decided to name Morgan as Carmina's Godfather." Kim says, chuckling as she recalls the madness of the drive. "But things happened, the collapse and all. So Morgan never really got to spend time with his Goddaughter. It's a shame. I think he would have been a good God-parent."

XXXpagebreakXXX

After Gina had something to eat, she went to the clinic. It took a few moments, but Carmina eventually agreed to take her break.

As Carmina walked out of the clinic, she spotted the Judge, returning to Prosperity alone, with hurk and Sharky heading to Chop Shop to work on Hurk's new "ultra sexy super car". She watched at the Judge knelt down and began making some arrows. She felt conflicted about the Judge's identity.

She had heard a lot about Deputy Morgan Rook as a child, hearing about his adventures were some of her favorite stories as a child, even though she was pretty sure he never went to Mars. And part of her was excited to have this chance to reconnect with him.

On the other, The Judge was the one she had become friends with, not the Deputy. Moreover, despite being covered as much as he was, Carmina could tell he was uncomfortable now that his secret was out, and she didn't want to upset him.

Walking over, she decided to treat him as she had before. As time went on, she could try seeing if the person from the stories was still there.

"Hey." Carmina says with a smile.

The Judge looked up and nodded.

"I'm glad your back. Did you miss us?" She asked.

The Judges head tilted a bit as though he considered the answer before nodding.

"So how did you find Jack and Rush?" Carmina asked.

The Judge tilted his head.

"To bring them back." Carmina clarified.

The Judge shook his head.

"If you didn't bring them back here then who did?" She asked.

The Judge didn't answer.

Carmina frowned. She had thought the Judge's reappearance last night when they found the Captain and Rush outside the gates was connected. However, it seems the Judge was as unsure about what happened as everyone else. If not the Judge, who had patched up the Captain enough that he didn't bleed to death? Who had covered up the body of Rush? And most importantly, who had brought them to Prosperity without being seen.

Carmina decided to change the subject, and her eyes fell on the arrows.

"You and the Captain have that in common. The Bows I mean." Carmina said.

The Judge nodded.

"Auntie Grace said she only saw you use a bow once. When you tried Jess Black's and hit yourself in the face with it." Carmina said.

The Judge looked away.

"Do you think you can teach me how to shoot? Might be useful." Carmina asked, hoping she didn't say the wrong thing mentioning the time before all this.

The Judge was silent before he nodded, standing up. He hands her his bow and brings her to the practice area. He shows her how to stand, hold the bow and draw it back. Being instructed by someone who didn't speak was interesting, but Carmina had been given a few rough lessons from the Captain, so she had a decent idea how to hold and draw the bow. She doubted she'd be able to pull of the speed or skill of either one, but knowing how to do it could come in handy if something happened.

She drew back the bow, took aim as best she could and let go. The arrow flew, landing about 7 inches off center. Not great, but not bad given her inexperience.

The Judge nodded with a grunt, apparently agreeing with her silent thought that it was a decent start. He grabbed some more arrows from his quiver, and set them down, continuing to help her practice.

Hidden under the mask, no one would ever have guessed that the Judge had a small smile on his face.

XXXpagebreakXXX

"Oh-ho, get a look at this cuddly teddy bear!" Lou laughed as she and her sister watched their newest toy, a monstrous bear, be loaded onto a transport. When it comes time for the Bear to be released, it will be injected with a high amount of chemicals to enrage it, making it even more deadly. "I almost wish that fucking Rabbit was alive so that bear could tear him apart."

"It's good he's dead. Our people were starting to get worried." Mickey said leaning against the wall.

'The fuck! We killed that asshole, how are they still afraid of him!?" Lou snarled, trying to keep her voice down she the Highwaymen in the area didn't hear them.

"We never had a Rabbit do what that one did. They look at him like a boogeyman. Not hard to see why. Things almost went bad for us to." Mickey pointed out, making Lou scoff and look away.

Neither wanted to admit it, but they still felt sore from how they had been effortlessly tossed around by the Dead Scavengers. Nor did they want to admit given his demonstrated strength, had Mickey been a few seconds slower, it's likely Lou would have been killed.

"He was never no boogeyman. Just a Rabbit. And he's dead. So you find those losers scared of him and have them be the ones to take our pet for a walk. Then we'll go hunting up North." Lou said, marching away.

Mickey watched her sister leave before heading down.

XXXpagebreakXXX

Kim walked out of the house and smiled despite herself. The Ju..Deputy was helping Carmina learn how to use a bow and arrow. She wanted to walk over and join in, but saw Bean running over to her.

"What's wrong?" Kim asked, seeing his face.

"We just got a communication the Pantry. They spotted some Highwaymen nearby." Bean tells her.

"Are they under attack?" Kim questioned.

"Not right now but they think it'll happen pretty soon." Bean replies.

Kim nods and Runs over to The Judge and Carmina.

"Sorry to interrupt practice, but we just got a call from The Pantry Outpost. They think they'll be under attack by Highwaymen soon. The Captain is in no shape to go. We need you to head on over." Even though she was speaking to both, she was looking at the mask hiding her old friend. She hoped on some level being in charge of something like this, like the old days, would help spark the Deputy back out of the Judge.

The Judge, for his part, nodded and grabbed his Quiver and some arrows. Carmina ran over to the Weapon's Bench and grabbed her rifle and some ammo.

"We'll head out with Jerome and investigate. The Pantry isn't far from Nana's Perch. Why don't you try her on the radio? If she's still nearby she can meet us there, do some recon so we know what we're walking into?" Carmina asked.

"Great idea. Good luck." Kim said. The pair met up with Jerome at the gate and headed out, driving off. Kim ran over to Bean's shack, telling him to radio Nana at the old Strickland farm.

XXXpagebreakXXX

Carmina sat in the backseat as Jerome drove the car, the Judge being in the Passenger seat. They had been driving for a little while when the radio they had squawked.

"Helloo? Jerome? You gonna answer good looking?" Nana's voice came over the radio. Jerome winced and passed the Radio to Carmina, who had to work hard to prevent a giggle from escaping her lips. Nana had hit on Jerome a few times, and it seems he was a bit embarrassed by that.

"Hey Nana, what's up?" Carmina answered.

"Oh hello Carmina. I'm here at The Pantry and it's a mess. I don't know what those hooligans did to this place, but it's plain awful." Nana informed her.

"We shouldn't be much longer. Be careful." Carmina told her.

As Jerome drove faster Carmina called her mom to let her know what seems to have happened.

XXXpagebreakXXX

The trio arrived at the Pantry, and it was indeed a mess. Something big went through here.

"Nana!' Carmina shouted as they arrived, looking around for the much older woman.

"Over here young'uns!" The voice of Nana called out from a bit away. Jerome and Carmina went looking for her while The Judge continued to search the area.

The pair found Nana inspecting a large container truck.

"I found this when I was looking around. Seems whatever did that was brought here in this." Nana tells them. Around the truck were some Highwaymen. Or rather, the body parts of Highwaymen.

"Lord…" Jerome said looking around.

"Some sort of animal?" Carmina wondered aloud.

The Judge grunted behind them. The group turned around and saw him walking over. He grunted again and nodded.

"So you think it was an animal too." Carmina said.

"That sounds like it'd be a big animal." Nana said.

The Judge grunted again and pointed in the distance.

"I don't see anything." Jerome said.

"No he's saying that's the way it went." Carmina said. The Judge nodded, showing Carmina was correct.

Jerome couldn't help but smile. Carmina seemed to be able to understand the Judge, with the Captain being the only one who could read him better.

"We'd better get moving after this thing." Jerome said.

"What about the people here?" Carmina asked as they headed to the car.

"Those still kicking are helping each other out." Nana told them.

They got into their car and drove off after the animal.

XXXpagebreakXXX

They drove to the Refinery, which has also been attacked. A quick check revealed that the creature responsible was heading to in the direction of The Chop Shop.

Leaving Nana at the Refinery to help the wounded, the three gave chase again.

By the time they got to the Chop Shop things seemed to have calmed down.

"Hurk! Sharky!" Jerome said as they got out of the car.

"Yo, over here dude." Sharky said as he came over.

"You guys ok?" Carmina asked.

"Oh you guys missed it. This giant bear monster showed up and maaaan it was mad." Hurk said heading over.

"Yeah man. I've seen some pissed off bears before but this one was something else." Sharky added.

Carmina spotted the Judge kneeling and headed over. He was closing the eyes of a scavenger who wasn't very lucky.

"How did you drive it off?" Jerome asked.

"Oh man it wasn't easy. First, we tried to blow it up but that only mad it madder. Then I slipped when I tried to load my launcher again, and it fired away, and the bear went after the explosion and didn't come back. It went over that way." Hurk said, pointing in the distance.

"If it was as mad as you say, it probably thought the explosion was an incoming attacker. Given what we've seen of it that's probably the only reason things aren't worse here." Carmina said.

"Wait, you said it went off that way?" Jerome asked.

"Yeah, why?" Hurk questioned.

"Because not that far off is Prosperity." Carmina said, realizing what Jerome was getting at.

"How long ago did it leave?" Jerome asked.

"Only a few minutes but it was hauling it." Sharky said.

The Judge grunted and ran to the car. Carmina, Jerome and Hurk all got in and they took off.

They followed the trail of destruction until they spotted an unusually large Grizzly about three miles from Prosperity.

Jerome drove faster, heading for the bear to hit it, when suddenly it turned around and swiped at the car with its massive paw, sending them spiraling away and smashing into a tree.

"Holy shit!" hurk said as he tried to get out, the door damaged and making it difficult to get out.

The Bear roared and headed for the car. Carmina managed to get out and started shooting, trying to lead the bear away from the Car.

The Judge, seeing Carmina put herself into danger, began kicking the door until it broke off, allowing them to get out.

As Jerome got out, he fell over.

"Whoa you ok there buddy?" Hurk asked, kneeling next to Jerome.

"I messed up my knee in the crash. Don't worry about me get to Carmina!" Jerome said. The Judge nodded and took off.

The Bear was almost on Carmina, who had dropped her rifle. The judge drew back an arrow and fired at the back of the bear's neck. The arrow didn't seem to hurt it, but it did get the bear's attention. It turned around and charged at the Judge.

The Judge barely managed to roll out of the way of the charging bear and stabbed at it with another arrow. The Bear roared again and swung its paw back at the Judge, who dodged again, but when the bear tried to snap at the Judge with its fangs he tripped and fell back.

The Bear tried to bite at the Judge, who pushed back against it. As the Bear's teeth got closer, an arrow hit the Bear in the shoulder. Glancing up, The Judge saw that Carmina holding his bow.

The Bear tried to go after Carmina, but the Judge punched it in the throat, trying to keep its attention on himself. The Bear was unlike anything he had fought before. He had seen some angry beasts, but never this level of rage. The Locusts had likely tampered with it somehow.

The Judge was jostled from his thoughts when the bear lifted him up and tossed him away, causing him to hit a tree. The Judge grabbed his side, and realized he could feel the sun on his face. Opening his eyes, he saw his mask had been knocked off his face by the impact. He reached out for it when he heard Carmina cry out.

Seeing the Bear heading for her, he ignored the pain in his side forced himself up, putting himself between her and the bear. Both to try and protect her, and also so he was facing away from her and could keep her from seeing his face.

The bear was almost on them, when suddenly a yellow object appeared, slamming into the bear.

The Judge gasped, realizing what that was.

"Dad's plane." Carmina said, also aware what their savior was.

The door opened and someone got out.

The Captain, wearing only a pair of pants, and the tunic given to him by New Eden to cover his many bandages. Bandages that were starting to turn red. Pulling that stunt had probably opened up some barely healed skin. He was also sweating quite a bit, the effort it was taking him to be this active clear.

"I can't even get a lousy nap without having to save the day." The Captain complained. He knelt down and grabbed the Judge's mask, tossing it to him, which he quickly put back on.

As the Captain walked over, suddenly the plane was tossed back as the bear roared again, bloody but not dead.

"Oh you got to be kidding me!" The Captain said getting ready.

"Hey guys, get that critter over this way!" Hurk shouted.

The Captain and Judge nodded and both moved, keeping the Bear's attention on them.

The Bear tried to swipe at the Captain, but his eyes turned yellow and he leapt over the bear, rolling as he landed.

When the bear turned around, the Judge ran over, slamming himself into its back with all his might, then slipping behind it when it turned around and punching it in the side, before backing up. Now the Captain and Judge were back against the car.

The bear spun around again and charged at the pair, but they moved out of the way and got clear, as Hurk fired another rocket, blowing the Bear and car up.

After checking on Carmina, they went over to Hurk and Jerome.

"Good timing." Jerome said, Hurk helping him to his feet.

"Wish I had down up sooner. But no one wanted to let me out of bed." The Captain said, leaning against a tree for support.

"For good reason, you're a mess!" Carmina said, smacking him in the arm and making him fall over.

The Judge walked over to Nick's place. A lifetime ago, he recalled sneaking into John Seed's Ranch to steal it. To think it had been willingly returned to that location, used as a safe haven…..events have a way of being quite ironic.

The Judge went over and checked on it. Some minor damage, but given it happened saving his daughter, Nick would likely get over it.

Sharky came over in a van.

"Saw that big boom. Does that mean charred bear is on the menu?" Sharky asked.

"It's a little too done." Jerome said, glancing back at the burning wreckage.

"Damn. Well uh, you guys need a ride back to Prosperity?" Sharky asked.

Hurk and the Captain helped Jerome into the van, then got into it as well, along with Carmina.

"Wait, we're missing one." Carmina realized.

They heard a grunt, and saw the judge by Nick's plane. He was pushing it to the river, and pointed down the way.

"Alright, but be careful." The Captain said, realizing what the Judge planned.

The Judge nodded and continued as the others drove away.

XXXpagebreakXXX

Nick hadn't been happy that the Captain stole his plane, but got over it when he heard how Carmina was in danger and it was the fastest way. The fact the Judge was the one to return it brought a small smile to his face.

While Nick helped the Judge bring the plane into the hanger he was working in, Carmina helped the Captain back to his usual spot (he refused to go back to the Clinic) and Jerome and Kim got a chance to talk.

Hearing from her close friend how The Judge had put himself into jeopardy to protect Carmina, even when he lost his mask and couldn't hide his face, gave renewed hope that they could get through to The Deputy inside. For now, they'd have to take what small victory they could get.

"How are you feeling?" Carmina asked, handing Jack some water. His fever had broken at some point, but he was still sweating from the strain of bring so physical while recovering.

"I'll be fine." He assured her, drinking it all in one go, then leaning back, thinking.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Nothing….If you see the Judge, ask him to come by. I want to ask him something." Jack asked her. She nodded, taking the empty cup. A little bit later, the Silent New Edener arrived.

The Judge grunted.

"I heard about what happened. Sounds like your getting to old for this." Jack said with a grin.

The Judge gave an annoyed grunt.

"Then theres something the matter. I know the power of the fruit, yet you don't seem especially superhuman. Flashes of it, but not what I'd expect." Jack said.

The Judge was silent.

"…..Joseph said 'the first time I partook of this gift' when he showed me the tree. So he's had it before. It wears off at some point, doesn't it? That's your problem. Your power is near empty." Jack theorized.

The Judge was motionless, then slowly nodded.

"How long does it last?" Jack questioned. The fact his new superhuman abilities had a time limit bothered him.

The Judge gave a grunt.

"That long? Well….if I haven't killed the twins by then, I don't deserve this power." Jack said, leaning back against the wall and falling asleep.

The Judge watched him, before heading off.

He spotted Carmina holding the Captain's bow.

"So, up for some practice?" She asked.

Behind his mask, the Judge smiled as he nodded.

XXXchapterEndXXX

This one took longer than expected for a few reasons. Working around a silent character was tricky, and I've also gone back to work.

As far as the Eden Fruit fading, it will happen. Joseph implies he's had the fruit multiple times, so that suggests it doesn't last forever. That being said, it must last long enough for those who take it to get through the winter months they found so harsh when they first found it, so the powers won't fade before the story ends.

Next time: The Captain begins making preparations against the Twins, while also seeking the mystery of who rescued and treated his wounds and brought him back to Prosperity.

Next time: The Subtle Game


	13. The Subtle Game

Here is the newest chapter. I hope you enjoy it.

Carmina watched the Captain as he exercised. It had been a little over a week since the Highwaymen's Bear incident. Despite reopening many of his wounds fighting the bear, the Captain had quickly recovered once able to rest, and 9 days later he was back to normal, only some scars left. And good thing to, as they needed to start planning a new strategy against the Highwaymen.

The Captain let go of the railing and dropped to the floor, stretching and nodding, before grabbing his jacket.

"Where are you going?" Carmina asked, getting up from her seat as her friend walked to the side entrance.

"I've got to get something. Stay here, I won't be long." He says, opening the gate and stepping out. Carmina frowned. She didn't like the idea of the Captain going out by himself, but he wanted to do…whatever this was alone.

XXXpagebreakXXX

The Fertilizer plant. Truth be told it was weird coming back here again…after Rush….

The Captain tried to put those thoughts from his head as he walked the ground where his worst defeat yet had taken place. But it was not to be.

Mila, Rush's daughter…he wasn't sure how he was going to explain to her that her father was dead, or how he had failed so badly at saving him. Then again, he wasn't sure how he was even going to get to her to relay the message.

The Captain walked up to the room where everything had gone down. Where the mysterious person had saved him.

A woman…..being back to where it happened…a voice in the back of his head told him it had been a woman. Then again, considering the injuries and emotional state he had been in, it was difficult to tell if the voice was correct.

After several morbid moments of staring at the pool of dried blood on the floor, the Captain forced himself to leave the room, pausing only to glance at the broken window he had been shot through.

Returning to the ground floor, the Captain began his search. Sin Eater had been knocked from his hands during the conflict, and he wanted to retrieve his mothers gun.

He searched for more than an hour, unable to find the treasured sidearm. He frowned. True, events had been chaotic, but he had made certain to remember where the gun had gone after being knocked from his hands when the car hit him.

It should be here….unless the woman who found him took it with her. The Captain frowned and took a breath. If she had taken the Sin-Eater he would track her down. He searched until he found something, footprints, slightly smaller than the rest.

He began following the tracks, hoping they would lead him to the mysterious woman.

XXXpagebreakXXX

After longer then he'd like, due to not being a great tracker and often losing the track, he stood outside a bunker. He was fairly certain this is where he'd get answers. He slowly opened the hatch to the bunker and descended inside.

Inside was a woman, who was reading a book, when she raised her head, turning slightly. She knew he was there.

"I think you have something of mine." He told her.

The woman closed her book and stood up, turning to face him. When she spoke, his eyes widened. Her voice…he had heard her voice before, he was sure of it..But where!?

XXXpagebreakXXX

It was close to nightfall when the Captain returned to Prosperity, frowning.

He may have owed her his life, but the absurdity of what she had told him….He would prove her wrong.

He walked into the main room with the others and sat down. It was time to begin.

"The Twins think I'm dead. And right now that's one of our best advantages. I have a plan, but you all may not like it." Jack warned.

"We've gotten this far with you, I think it's worth taking your bets." Kim said, the others nodding.

"Ok then. We're gonna pull back from some outposts, make it seem like we are worried about holding them. Grab as much as we can before we do, so they have to resupply them. While that's going on, we suspend attacks on the Highwaymen. I'm heading out to see Joseph soon to have him pull back his Chosen, so they can save their strength and numbers for when we need them. " The Captain says.

"Are you sure? That sounds like we'd be giving up a lot of ground." Jerome asked.

"I know it does but we need them to think we're on the ropes. If anyone can come up with a better idea that conveys the same message without it being too obvious, I'm all ears." Jack says, leaning forward.

The room fell silent for several moments as everyone tried, and failed, to offer a new idea.

"Ok, so say we do that. Pull out of some Outposts, and stop going out as much. What are we going to do for supplies? We still need stuff." Nick pointed out.

"I know, and luckily, we have options. Roger has located several Highwaymen Strongholds outside of Hope County. Now that his helicopter is fixed up, we can travel to those Strongholds, raid them for supplies without alerting the twins." Jack reveals.

"But won't they suspect your still alive if they hear about how your attacking their locations outside the county?" Carmina asked.

"Don't worry, I have a plan for that. But first, I'm going to need a needle and thread." Jack states with a grin.

XXXpagebreakXXX

The Captain and The Judge walked into New Eden. The pair headed up to the main building and walked in. Joseph was on his knees, in meditation. Hearing footsteps, he opened them.

"Ah, my Shepherd. It is good to see you. I had feared ill tidings had gone your way." Joseph says, standing up.

"Oh, they did, along with a shotgun barrel. Almost didn't make it." The Captain admits.

"God knows you have yet to finish his work, eradicating the locusts." Joseph says.

"That's what I'm here to talk to you about. The twins think they've won by killing me. So I want to let them think that. I'd like the chosen to hold off on going after them for the time being." Jack says.

"What you ask is not a simple request." Joseph points out.

"I know. Without their help in dealing with Highwaymen we'd be much worse off, but we need to prepare for when it's time to take the twins off the board for good, and the Chosen must save their strength for that time. Especially since the Twins have witnessed my power and want answers." Jack explains.

Joseph is silent for a moment as he thought.

"Very well, I will trust that your judgment was aided by God and have by my Chosen return to New Eden. Good luck." Joseph tell him, shaking his hand.

He watches as the Captain and Judge leave, smiling as the little girl who the pair had risked their lives to cure from the sickness runs over to thank them. But as he watched, a feeling feel over him. Where has he felt this before?

XXXpagebreakXXX

Two days Later:

The location was an old aircraft carrier that had washed up on shore some years after the Collapse. The Highwaymen moved right in after they found it. Not that they could be blamed.

What really bothered the Captain was the fact the Highwaymen were so spread out. According to Roger, they have strongholds all over the country. So how was it possible neither he, nor Rush, nor anyone had heard of them before coming to Hope County?

Roger set the Captain down a mile away, so the helicopter wouldn't get spotted. Jack walked for some time until he came to a lighthouse overlooking the Carrier. Taking out his binoculars, he began doing recon.

Hs best bet for approach would be the scaffolding on the rear of the ship, then make his way to the upper decks. From there he could get a good vantage point to continue scouting and planning. The Captain had forgone his trademark bow and arrow, as part of his cover. He had a new disguise. Reaching into his pocket, he took out a hood.

Unlike before, this suit was white and blue, the style less amateurish. Despite the aesthetic changes and the lack of his preferred weapon, as Jack put on the hood, The Highwaymen were about to meet Der Geist.

The ghost rides once more.

XXXpagebreakXXX

Using the Wing suit built into the new Der Geist, Jack flew from the Lighthouse to the rear of the carrier, climbing up using the scaffolding.

Being mindful of the fact his attire didn't blend into darkness as well as his usual wears, Jack climbed up a long ladder to the upper decks of the ship, slipping in and out of rooms, stealing whatever he could and silently killing any Highwaymen he encountered.

Lacking his usual silent bow and arrow, Jack made due with different implements. As usual, he carried his knife, as there was no reason not to. Knives weren't unique to him after all. He also had spare throwing knives, a slingshot, his revolver and a slightly modified grappling hook. He hoped he could avoid a firefight, as he wasn't equipped for a large encounter.

Der Geist eventually made his way to the bridge of the ship, killing the highwayman walking around outside and pulling his body out of sight. He spent 5 minutes on the bridge, filling his bag with what he could before peeking outside. According to the note he had found while searching the bridge, the package containing the valuable supplies was located in the hanger. Which he had a feeling could be located via the giant square opening outside. He made his way down, careful to avoid being spotted by the cars racing around on the deck of the Carrier.

Slipping into down the hole and into the hanger, he located the package. Grabbing his radio, he signaled Roger.

"I have the package. Ready to bail once I have a location." He whispered.

"_Okay then. There's a beach to the south of you, I'll meet you there in 2 minutes." _Roger replied. A bit to loudly since a Highwayman heard it and came over, curious. And was stabbed in the throat for his curiosity.

Der Geist grabbed the package, securing it to his back and quickly climbed up. Outside, the racers had stopped and gotten out of their cars. Jumping into the car, he floored it, driving to the end of the Carrier.

"_Holy shit! Someone's grabbed the package! Stop him!"_ A female voice came over the radio.

The Car drove off the ramp of the Carrier and the door flew open, Der Geist using the wing suit to fly to the beach. He took a defensive position, using some already installed gun mounts to hold off the Highwaymen. The weapons were probably intended to be used if some other group tried to make a move on the Carrier.

After a few minutes, and some close calls, the Helicopter, (Jack refused to call it the absurd name Roger gave it) flew in, and Der Geist jumped, grabbing the railing and climbing in as it takes off.

"Bye Assholes! Oh man they look so pissed." Roger said laughing as the Captain took off the package and set it on the seat, removing his hood afterwards.

"Not bad. Anything else we'd pass on the way home?" Jack asked,

XXXPagebreakXXX

Lou drank her beer as Mickey came in.

"Just got word: Some asshole made the guys at the USS Fuck Off and the Bridge look like idiots. Snuck in, stole a bunch of top notch shit, killed a bunch of guys, and bailed." Mickey said.

"You don't think it's that fucking Rabbit do you? We fucking killed his ass." Lou said sitting up.

"No, it ain't him. This guy is dressed in some white Halloween suit, and doesn't use the same shit. But since two strongholds got hit so close together, words going out to keep an eye out." Mickey replies, grabbing a beer for herself.

"We don't need a new Rabbit problem now. Those prosperity scavengers finally figured out how fucked they are, pulling out of those outposts they stole from us. Even those religious fucks aren't hitting us as hard. Things are finally looking up for us." Lou says with a laugh.

"Let's not celebrate yet. Still got work ahead of us. Like figuring out why the asshole hulked out, and making sure everyone learns why trying to be heroes is a bad fucking idea." Mickey points out.

XXXpagebreakXXX

After returning to Prosperity and unloading the supplies they retrieved, Jack changes out of his Der Geist outfit and sat down, closing his eyes. He had been asleep for a few hours when Gina came over and woke him up.

"Hey Cap, I got a lead on something. Out a ways, there's an arena where Highwaymen fight. And one of the guys who likes to bet on those fights is Irwin Smalls. Squirrelly little fucker. Used to be tight with the twins, but the rumors are that's changed quite a bit. Might be worth looking into, maybe he can get you close to the Twins.." Gina tells him.

Jack nodded and got up, stretching, his joints popping.

"On it." He said with a yawn. Gina looked around to see if anyone else was close by.

"And do you mind if we talk, about us?" She asked quietly.

"Go ahead." He nodded.

"Listen, you know I've had a great time, getting together. But, I think it's time we stop. This is supposed to just be a physical thing, and honestly, I'm worried if we keep going like we have been, I might want it to be more. And as much as Hurk annoys me some…most of the time, he is Blade's father and needs to be in his life." Gina explains.

Jack nods after a moment.

"Yeah, that's fine. We can still kill bad guys together right?" he asks.

"Oh fuck yeah." Gina says with a grin.

"Then that's what matters." He replies with a smile. "I said from the beginning I didn't want to cause problems. If that's what you want, then ok."

"I'm glad. Like I said, I've had a great time of it. But then again, considering how often we went at it I should count it lucky I'm not pregnant again." She jokes with a small blush.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. That might be awkward to explain." He admits.

"But I will say this, if…when you kill those twins, if your still single, you and I are getting some alone time." She tells him with a grin, making him laugh. "Now, why don't you grab Carmina and go find Irwin."

Jack nods and heads to the main building. Gina watches as he talks to Carmina who laughs at a comment he makes. The pair grab their weapons and head out through the gate. She hoped this worked.

XXXpagebreakXXX

They found Irwin Smalls north of the Pantry outpost, his camp on the remains of an old Bridge. Parking their car about a mile away from where they meant to go, they traveled the rest on foot. He was an averaged size man, bald, but making up for that with quite the facial hair.

It doesn't take long into the conversation for it to become clear Small's is every bit the squirrelly fucker that Gina said he was. Smalls was in debt to the twins, and planned to use the Captain to clear the debt by betting big at the fight pit not far away. In exchange, he'd help the Captain get close to the twins.

After stashing his weapon with Carmina, who was staying behind lest she be recognized, and hearing Small's 'boasting' he directs Jack down some pipes to where he'd get processed for the fight. After exiting the pipes, he passed through a training camp for Highwaymen fighters, and a little punk kid lead him to a table. Behind the table was a Highwaywoman doing some paperwork.

"Hey, you need a fighting name, so we know who to bet against." She said, grabbing some paper.

"it's lollipop. It's all over his face. He's a lollipop." The kid said. Not long ago, the kid would have gotten kicked in the head for that remark.

"Alright squirt. Lollipop it is. Get into the ring Lollipop." The Highwaywoman said, announcing him over the intercom. Walking around and eventually arriving in the arena, and hearing a variety of thoughts on his chances, he walked into the pit.

First out was a dog, growling and barking. It didn't take long for him to put it down.

He had barely straightened up when he heard a noise behind him. A bat wielding Highwaymen trying to jump him. A punch to the gut made him drop the bat, and a quick DDT broke the hapless idiots neck.

A trio of angry dogs came out next, followed quickly by a trio of Highwaymen. The Highwaymen were unskilled, and it was a simple matter for the Captain to maneuver them into the dogs line of sight, the K9's going after them just as easily as they had tried Jack. A few blows with the bat ended the dogs threat.

That was the end of the first round it seems. Next came a highwaymen with a steel pipe. A strong blow to the head broke the bat, and the helmet the Highwayman wore. Jack grabbed piece of the helmet and stabbed it into the face of its former owner. Grabbing the pipe as another one came Jack readied himself for more.

As the fight wore on, some areas of the pit were set on fire, to make things more dramatic it seems. All it did was give Jack another place to throw his opponents. An opponent on fire is one who is distracted.

Soon, nearly the entire pit was surrounded with fire, and a few barrels of gas have been tossed in as well. Jack dispatched his opponents easily enough, but something about it felt different from normal. He wasn't sure what it was, but he didn't get the same satisfaction as he used to.

Soon, the Captain stood alone, having killed his opponents.

"Eyes up top thudfucks. We got the reigning champion in the house, ziplining in from on fucking high." The announcer yelled.

Jack looked up, and confirmed that indeed, someone was zip lining in.

Jack held his pipe up and threw it like a javelin, hitting the champion in the face, knocking him out and making him fall 20 feet off the zip line. Jack grabbed the barely moving champion and tossed him into the fire, where he was quickly burned alive.

And that's it! Lollipop, some nobody from nowhere just put our champion in the fucking weeds. There you have it folks. Lollipop, our champion of the day!" The announcer said, as the crowd cheered.

Jack held up his arm in 'showmanship' as the one area not on fire had a door open.

As Jack walked out to meet back up with Irwin, he glanced back at the barbequed remains of the former champion.

Jack left the arena and made his way back to the Bridge, getting his gear from Carmina as Irwin talked.

"You think your clever? You think your hot shit? Because that's exactly what you were back there. You fought great. I think you're the kinda ass-hat I can work with. Asset, I mean Asset." Irwin said, back peddling his accidental slip. "The shit we can get up to together…great things, great things. I know you got shit to shovel with Lou and Mickey. I can get you close to them, and you can take care of business. I'll make it happen for you, don't worry Slick. I gotta put on my thinking cap, gotta figure this out. You run along, can't think with you breathing over my shoulder. I'll be in touch."

And with that the Captain and Carmina left, walking back to the car.

"I could hear things from the Bridge, and see a bit. Looks like your back to normal. The Twins best be careful." Carmina said with a smile, one that quickly faded when the Captain stopped walking behind her. "What's wrong?"

The Captain was silent as he sat down on a rock.

"Everyone I've fought I've killed. No matter how big, how mean, how experienced. I lived, they didn't. And i did that because i hated them more. My strength was my rage, the fire that burned in my blood. A fire that should be burning more than ever. My best friend was murdered before my eyes! But... I can't summon it. For everyone I've beaten, somehow...the Twins have more Hatred then I do. The thing I've relied on my entire life, won't be enough. And that scares me."

The Captain's admittance, hit Carmina hard. She had never seen him this way, this vulnerable. What happened to Rush had clearly affected the Captain more than anyone had thought. And yet something told Carmina that wasn't the only thing that was based on. In fact, it felt more like the straw that broke the deer's back. Carmina sat next to her friend, and wrapped an arm around him.

The Captain was silent for some time. The woman had been right. As infuriating as it was to realize, she had been right. His rage was no longer enough. He needed something more.

He wasn't looking forward to their next conversation.

XXXpagebreakXXX

And so the chapter ends.

Next time: On the advice of the mysterious woman, Jack travels into the Radiation Zone, in search of something that will aid him against the twins. But it might just cost him something he doesn't expect.

Next time: Ride into the Radiation Zone


	14. Into the Badlands

So here's a story. I lost all my data on the Playstation 4. All but like 2 games. Which included all my data for Far Cry 5 and New Dawn. So I had to work on that for a month, and then I had some other games I wanted to play.

Jack was silent as he walked. His realization about the loss of his rage had hit him harder than he thought. He had to go find that mystery woman. She had predicted this; she should be able to help him. She had to. Lives were hanging on him, and he couldn't let them down.

Carmina wanted to come along, but Jack told her to return to Prosperity. He needed to talk to the woman alone. There was also the mystery of her voice. He didn't know from where, but he knew he had heard it before.

He walked for some time, consumed in his thoughts before he eventually arrived at her bunker. It seems she had just returned from hunting. She was breaking down her prey when she turns her head slightly.

"You were right. I lost my edge. So, what do I do about it?' he asked simply.

The woman finished her task before wiping her hands and walking to an old map of the region. It seemed he would be making a short trip.

XXXpagebreakXXX

"Your going where?" Kim asked Jack as he loaded up on equipment.

"A few miles into the irradiated zone. My guardian angel seems to think that's where I'll find the thing. And that'll help me to get my head on straight." He replied.

"you realize that's insane?" she questioned.

"No more then usual. Look, I'll be fine. I've been to a lot more places then you have. I know how to handle myself." Jack said.

"Where are you even going?" Kim asked.

"She said it was a place called the Jessop Conservatory." He revealed.

"What? Back during the conflict with Eden's Gate, the Conservatory was quite important to their Bliss operation. Although that was one of the first places the deputy captured when he started working in the Henbane River region, and by the time the collapse happened we had held it for several weeks. So, I guess its possible that the resistance stored something important there. Just be careful. There's a reason we avoid going that far into the zone." She tells him.

Once he was confident in his supplies, Jack headed out. He was bringing a small rucksack for him of supplies with him. To counterbalance the weight, he would only be bringing Sin-Eater for protection

XXXpagebreakXXX

Driving to the edge of the territory, he thought about what she has said. According to her, roughly 10 to 15 or so miles into the irradiated zone there was an old greenhouse or something.

As he drove, his mind wondered as it often tended to. He realized with a touch of surprise how long it had been since he had arrived in Hope County.

He was jarred from his thoughts as he pulled to a stop. This was a far as he could get with wheels, the rest would be needed to be traversed on foot.

He pulled his tunic on and his backpack and began walking. 10 steps past his car and he was into the irradiated zone.

The change hit him like a brick. He even turned around to double check he hadn't zoned out that much. Yes, it had only been 10 steps.

Hope County was one of the most colorful, vibrant places he had ever been to. Yet mere feet into the irradiated zone he felt like he was somewhere else entirely. There was a thick wall of dust or something separating the thriving Hope County and the bleak badlands.

It was cold, desolate, bitter, devoid of life itself, like an alien world. Everything about it put him on edge. He had to keep going.

Fighting the shiver deep in his bones, he pushed forward, wrapping his arms around himself.

This was going to be a long five miles. Assuming he doesn't get lost.

_God, _he prayed _don't let me get lost._

XXXpagebreakXXX

In order to keep his mind off the unease and cold of the region, he let his mind wonder.

And he recalled the first time he heard they were coming to Hope County. They had been the Texas area, what had once been San Antonio. The Alamo fort had proved to be a surprising stronghold in the area. They had handled the local gang and were well on the way to helping the community to improve when Carmina had arrived. She had traveled for almost 3 weeks trying to find them. She was lucky. Another 2 days and they would probably have left.

Rush was quickly enticed by her reports of how fertile the ground was and saw large potential in the area.

The Captain on the other hand, saw problems. He hadn't ever in his wildest thoughts expected this, naturally if he had he would have voiced those concerns and taken proper precautions. His worries were more in the logistics.

Hope County was much further Northwest then their network went, and as a result they would be walking into the situation blind.

Between talking to Gina, and traveling with Roger to various Highwaymen outposts, he had realized just how incompetent their intelligence network had been. How could it be possible that the Highwaymen could have this much influence all over the country, yet neither he nor Rush had heard of them before meeting Carmina?

Should he ever be able to return his old home, he would be eager to forcefully…. lodge a complaint.

The Captain froze. He wasn't sure when, but at some point, he had stopped thinking of the communities he was helping to build up as home, and instead adopted Hope County and Prosperity as his new home.

The Captain wiped his forehead and was surprised to find a thick layer of sweat forming on his brow. Despite the coldness, he was sweating quite a bit.

He pushed on, his mind going to when his life went off the rails. Literally.

XXXpagebreakXXX

The captain shook the cobwebs free from his head as he regained consciousness. Something heavy had fallen on him. He grunted and tried to free himself as Garret begins panicking. Unfortunately, he did not have proper leverage to push the shelf off himself, and Garrett's increasing anxiety was not aiding matters at all.

He freaks out more and more before Rush finds them and chastises Barnes for his loudness. The pair help free The Captain, and Rush gave him a knife.

"You have lead. We'll follow." Rush said. The pair had long since established their styles, and in a situation like this the Captain was the one in charge.

Pausing to grab his rucksack, the trio left the train. As they passed the corpses of people they knew, they began gathering what supplies they could, and slowly began encountering Highwaymen.

The Captain was in his element. Taking down Highwaymen and freeing what few survivors they could come across; they slowly began fighting back. Until the rest of the gang showed up. Soon it was just Garrett, Rush, and The Captain.

Hostile to the end, the first thing the younger man did was point his weapons at the twins. When they shot Garrett, Rush took the opportunity to push him off the cliff and into the river.

He had been knocked out on impact, and if Carmina hadn't pulled him out, he probably would have drowned.

From there the pair continued down the river, the Captain amazed at how calm things could be. Everything was great minus the giant pissed off elk charging at him.

Wait what?!

Jack was jarred violently from his thoughts when he realized the Elk wasn't part of his recollections but an actual beast rushing towards him. Ducking into a roll, he avoided the horns of the Elk and drew sin-eater.

Firing both barrels at the massive beast, he again barely rolled away from its antlers before getting to his feet and looking around. It was gone. He looked around as he reloaded his family treasure. It didn't make sense that something so large could vanish so easily…or did it?

The area was a desolate wasteland, truly little lived here. So, it was reasonable to suggest that something capable of surviving here must have evolved to be significantly more dangerous then normal beasts. He would have to stay on his guard. Who knew what else would be found on his trip?

XXXpagebreakXXX

Jack sat down on a rock, breathing heavier than he would have liked. The trip hadn't seemed do daunting when explained to him, nor when he set out. But now having been on the trek for…. how long had it been?

The Captain looked up to the sky to try and judge the time, but the thick coating of dust covered the sky and obscured the view. Without being able to see the sun well, he couldn't accurately judge the time. The stain of his muscles would typically tell him that it had been 7 or so hours, but he knew that couldn't be correct.

It occurred to him with no small degree of irritation that the Badlands were sapping his strength. He had encountered similar phenomena before, and they never failed to vex him.

Taking out a small map, he did his best to try and gauge his location. His best estimates put him roughly two thirds of the way to the conservatory, assuming he hadn't gone off course.

He let out a groan, realizing the likelihood that he could have altered his path after his encounter with that monster elk.

Speaking of, he had a feeling the elk was nearby. Every now and again he had the feeling the unnaturally large creature was nearby, but every time he looked he was unable to find anything to suggest it.

He was unsure of himself for the first time in a long while. Yes, usually he would put full faith in his instincts, but the badlands and their peculiar effects could be putting him on extra edge.

Forcing himself to put his thoughts aside, he began moving again. He had to find the conservatory. Whatever he was looking for, he had to find it, before the twins started making a move on the Scavengers or New Eden.

XXXpagebreakXXX

After another few hours, the Captain was forced to stop to rest. The Badlands were taxing him more than he had expected. He would have to be careful about undo expense of strength. After all, he still had to leave the badlands once he was done.

Even the water sources here couldn't be trusted. He dipped his hand into a stream and began experiencing an immediate tingling feeling in his fingers. For some reason, the radiation had affected this area in a unique way.

He wiped his face clean of more sweat and began to walk again. He had long ago stopped relying on his map, and now just hoped he would get lucky.

It seems that was not a good method of operation. For once.

Jack looked up to the sky and sighed heavily.

"You know, I don't ask for much. The occasional impossible shot, and to not get lost in an inhospitable wasteland. I mean you'd think you'd throw me a-ah!" His tirade was cut off when he tripped over something made of wood. Getting up, and a small thanks no one was around to see it, Jack noticed what he had tripped over was a sign.

'Jessop Conservatory: straight ahead'

"…. Ok, well tell me to shut up then." Jack said as he began heading towards the Conservatory. As he began approaching the long-abandoned building, he observed fields of flowers giving off a greenish mist. There were clearly areas that had been meant for the flowers to grow, but over the long years they had overgrown their original plots.

Rubbing his forehead, he recalled hearing something about this. The conservatory's main purpose had been to grow the Bliss Flowers. The Deputy had burned the fields when he took it from the Cult, however, it seemed they had managed to grow back, possibly from seeds left in the ground.

He remembered his trip up North when the Bliss had been so dangerous. Not taking chances, he pulled took out a cloth from his rucksack and wrapped it around his face to try and limit what he breathed in.

As he reached the edge of the flowers, he noticed something that drew his attention. Walking over, he kneeled and examined some flowers. They had clearly been chewed on, and he also noticed piles of droppings in the area.

It occurred to him this could explain the elk. The flowers were likely changed by radiation over the years, and if the elk had been eating it, then things would make a certain kind of sense. Although the thing that bugged him was the fact that he encountered the elk so far away from the flowers. He filed this away for later as he looked around.

The unkempt fields of mutated bliss flowers left no clear paths to the main building, which was his target. Taking a deep breath, he began crossing the fields.

He recalled his mother telling him of story she had enjoyed as a child. In it, the main characters crossed a field of flowers that had been cursed to make them fall asleep. He wasn't sure he was going to fall asleep, but he was sure if he didn't get across soon, he was gonna end up staying in this field forever. While this would suggest he hustle, he had to be aware of his dwindling strength and pace himself.

Making each breath count, he moved through the endless flower fields, heading to the main building. The lower levels were boarded up, but he noticed some scaffolding in the back. Pulling the Bliss Flowers off, he climbed up and got inside.

Pulling his mask down and took a deep breath. While the air quality wasn't as good as he would prefer, the choking, suffocating bliss didn't hang in the air as much. He began searching the upper levels, going through papers and documents, but many of them had faded over the long years.

Moving to the lower floor, he continued his search without success. Checking the other rooms, he found one that was locked. Stepping Back, he got ready to throw himself into the door when he rethought his strategy. The door had been standing in this area for some time, and shouldn't prove to much of a struggle, so he could avoid wasting his limited energy if he just gave some thought.

Drawing Sin-Eater, he fired into the door handle and blew it off, leaving the door swinging on the hinges. Kissing his family treasure, he holstered it and flicked his lighter open for light as he moved downstairs. He got the feeling no one had been in this room for some time even before the Collapse happened.

Searching, he found a locked safe. Taking out his blowtorch, he lit it and began cutting the safe. Once he had managed to slice through the locking mechanism, he wrapped his hand in a cloth to protect it and managed to open the safe.

Inside was a small box of some kind. Given this had been the only thing he had found that seemed even slightly significant, this was likely what he had traveled so far for. Grabbing the box, he discovered that it was locked with a combination lock, which he didn't see often. In fact, he didn't recall ever seeing a locking box this small. He could have used the blowtorch to open the box, but given the small size, the contents would almost certainly be destroyed.

Hearing a loud noise outside, he slipped the box into his rucksack and headed back to the second floor. Looking out, he saw the elk had arrived. Jack wondered if the beast had heard the shot from Sin-eater. He would have to be careful to avoid a fight until he was clear of the Bliss fields.

Taking out a bottle of alcohol, he made a Molotov cocktail and threw it. The resulting fireball was higher then anticipated, but it sufficiently spooked the elk and caused it to back off.

Jack climbed down and began moving through the fields. He tried to balance being low enough to keep the elk from seeing him while keeping high enough that he avoids a face full of the smothering smell of the flowers.

As he moved, he tripped over some kind of greenhouse equipment and tripped. Jumping up out of the smell, he stumbled back. Unfortunately, his actions drew the attention of the elk and it charged at him. Stepping back, jack moved to the elevated platform in the middle of the conservatory.

Eyes going yellow as he drew on Eden Power to supplement his fading strength, jack leapt up to the platform, avoiding the elk. Drawing Sin-Eater, he got ready for another round.

He pointed his shotgun at the elk as it turned around to come back at him. The beast was unusually aggressive. Yes, animals could easily be provoked, but the elk had attacked him seemingly on sight, even after he had tried to care it off with the fireball from the cocktail. A diet of mutated Bliss flowers had likely made it hyper aggressive.

As the elk approached in a charge, Jack fired, the shot barely seeming to make the beast blink as it slammed through the pillars holding the platform up, causing it to collapse. Jack tried to leap off the platform, but he wasn't able to get the height he needed and crashed through the glass of the greenhouse.

The Yellow of his eyes fading, he could feel his Eden Power leaving. Even this God-Given power seemed to be tested in these Badlands.

Struggling to keep a calm breathing pattern, Jack slipped out of the greenhouse and moved as quickly as he could without increasing his breathing. Which was not easy when you factor in psychopathic elk that wanted to hang your entrails from his antlers.

Managing to get out of the field of flowers, the clean air seemed to give him a little bit more hustle and he managed to dodge another charge from the elk. Drawing Sin-Eater again, he pointed his gun and got ready to fire. But pulling the trigger didn't result in the usual shot. Realizing he hadn't reloaded the shot he fired into the door before, he had gone into this fight with one of his chambers loaded.

Holding Sin-Eater in front of him, he used it to hold the elk's antlers back, trying to keep from being impaled. But the elk had superior muscles, even without the Badlands affecting Jack.

The Captain's eyes went wide as Sin-Eater, his treasure and the only link he had to the father he never knew and the mother he had left, was broken against the force of the Elk. Without the gun bracing against the antlers, they charged forward at him. The Captain tried to move, but he was unable to avoid having his side pierced.

As the elk tried to shale him off, Jack managed to grab an explosive from his bag and tossed it to the ground. Detonating it, Jack was thrown off the elk and slammed into the ground. Placing his hand against his bleeding wound, he pulled himself to a sitting position to gauge his enemy.

The Elk was alive, but its legs were clearly broken from the explosion. It wouldn't live long. Jack shifted and crawled forward, colleting the ruined Sin-Eater, cradling it to his body like a child. The gun was in pieces, the barrels were separated, and the stock and receiver were damaged. His mind raced with emotion at the sight before him, and he barely registered that he was beginning to walk.

XXXpagebreakXXX

The Captain wasn't sure where he was when he began opening his eyes. Everything was blurred, and he was unable to discern anything visually. But his fogged mind did notice a smell in the air. Not suffocating like the bliss, but a pleasant herbal smell. Slight pressure on his midsection told him he had been bandaged up.

"he's up." A child's voice said.

"She's right, you are awake." A soft, woman's voice said. Shifting himself and blinking to try and clear his eyes, the captain saw who was speaking. The child was the little girl he and the judge had raced to Prosperity not long ago, while the woman was Molly.

"Am I in-"the Captain's question was ended by a cough from his dry throat. Molly quickly poured some water into a cup and helped him drink it.

"You are safe, in New Eden." She told him, guessing his question.

"Thank you." He said after cooling his throat with the water.

"you are welcome. I shall get The Father. He asked to know when you awoke." Molly said, refilling his cup with water before she left.

"I'm glad your ok." The little girl said.

"Me to. You know I just realized I don't know your name." Jack said, shifting to look at her.

"I'm Mary." The little girl said with a bright smile, happy that she gets to talk with her hero.

After a moment, Joseph came into the cabin. He gave Mary a smile before asking the little girl to go play with the other kids. She gave Jack a hug before running outside.

"How are you feeling?" The Father asked.

"better…how did I get here?' jack questioned following his answer.

"I was part of a hunting party in the west when we came across you. You were barely conscious and wounded." Joseph told him.

"I don't…I don't even remember making my way back here." Jack said, bothered by the sizable gap in his memory.

"God's hand steered you out of danger and to us, so we may treat you." The father said.

"I try not to ask favors. My mom always said praying to often lessons your chances. Today was the first time I asked for anything beyond 'let me kill this guy' in a while. I complained he wasn't helping, and he sent me a sign…that I tripped over." Jack said with a chuckle, even joseph gain a smile on his face.

"What were you doing out in the wastes?" The father asked.

"trying to get my edge back, so I can stop the twins. Do you know what happened to my gun?" Jack asked.

Joseph nodded and left, returning with a bundle

"Your Sin-Eater was destroyed, but we repaired it as best we could." Joseph said, unwrapping the bundle and showing the gun off. The gun had been repaired and modified.

The barrels had been rewelded and reattached to the receiver with straps and metal fixtures, while the handle had been tapped up to improve grip. And paint on the barrels, which would have been ruined by the welding anyway, had been changed t a silver floral pattern, with the end of the barrels having a burnt orange color.

"Your Sin-Eater may be no more, but the gun lives on." Joseph said.

Jack took the gun and examined it, before pointing it. It would take a bit to get used to, but he would adjust.

"Thank you. This gun means a lot to me." Jack said.

"I recall you said it was a gift from your father." Joseph said, remembering their brief conversation they had outside the walls of New Eden.

"Not exactly. I never knew my father, he and my mom separated before I was born. But he gave her the gun, and she gave it to me. I haven't seen her in years now." Jack said, thinking about the last time he saw his mother.

"What was her name?" the father asked.

"Margret. She once said I was the reason god burned the world. So that when it cooled, I would be ready to live amongst the monsters the fire would unleash. She didn't know I heard that of course." Jack laughed.

"And what do you think?" he wondered.

"I think…. i think all my life I've killed and killed and killed and killed, and for the first time ever I'm getting sick of it all. I'm just tired, but I can't rest. Not until Prosperity and New Eden are safe." Jack said, the exhaustion in his voice being more noticeable then he wanted.

"once your ready, you can go home. But try to be more careful. You may have been chosen by God to slay the locust, but you are not invincible." Joseph warned.

After jack rested a bit more, and collected his rucksack, he headed to the gate to leave. Joseph met him there.

"I wish you luck in your conflicts, my child." The Father said.

Jack nodded, shaking Josephs hand as the gate opened.

"I'll be fine. I've got a little bit of faith and a whole lot of bullets." The Captain said as he walked out.

Joseph watched for some time, lost in his own thoughts for some time before he eventually walked off.

XXXpagebreakXXX

Jack found a car not long after leaving and drove to the bunker. He had plenty of walking for today. As he drove, his mind went to his new gun.

"Sin-Eater no more. Now, you are Blissful Agony." He decided. He wasn't sure why he went with that name, but it felt right.

He pulled up to the bunker and went inside.

The woman took the box from him and opened it. She asked him how things went, and he just stared at her, before replying with a flat 'peachy'.

" You should return home and rest. Come back in a few days, and it'll be ready." She told him.

He didn't want to leave, not without answers, but he could feel the fatigue building, and so he acquiesced, climbing out of the bunker and driving off.

XXXpagebreakXXX

No one knew what time the Captain returned to Prosperity. All they knew was suddenly he was in his usual spot, and that Sin-Eater had a much different look.

Carmina covered him with a blanket and sat next to him. She may not have spoken to her friend, but she could tell he had been through a lot. And she wanted to help. Even if all she could do was sit with him as he slept.

XXXchapterendXXX

The end is coming. Not long to go now.

Next time: As he plans his next moves against the twins, The Captain goes undercover into a prison, where he begins working for his next encounter with the twins.


End file.
